Digging Too Deep
by odalys-ortiz
Summary: Detective Carter has more questions than answers as she continues to look at the case of Szymanski's death. Doing so brings some unwanted attention from someone close to her. Despite avoiding her, John must now find a way to protect her from HR and possibly confront her about what happened to their relationship. Reese/Carter of course with slightly AU. Takes place after All In.
1. Clues

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people in this show. I use them solely for my own entertainment. I want to thank SWWoman and Maddsgirl75 for taking the time to read this thing.

* * *

Chapter 1 - Clues

The hustle and bustle of the police station didn't do much to help Carter as she began to battle an oncoming migraine. She had spent the better part of the day buried inside piles of reports and photographs, looking for any sort of information or clues that could point her to some real answers.

When she had received the news of Detective Szymanski's death, she couldn't help but be utterly shocked and devastated. She had done her best to try to clear the man's name earlier after he had been accused of bribery. After a ruthless bit of research, she managed to find the evidence she needed and got in contact with Bill's lawyer. After reviewing everything over the phone, the attorney had assured her that everything would be set straight and thanked her for her assistance.

Now after only a few hours, everything had changed. Not only was a good cop dead, but fellow officers had told her that Bill had attacked and attempted to assassinate Alonzo Quinn when he had been having dinner with him.

_It just doesn't add up. _She thought to herself as she sifted through more files of Bill's case littering her desk.

The first officers to arrive at the scene had managed to recover two weapons that had been found in the room and took Quinn to the hospital for an assessment of his injuries. Something uncomfortable was eating away at Joss and she couldn't help but continue looking for something that could support her belief in Bill's innocence. It was in her nature to ruffle quite a bit of feathers by digging deep into something that wasn't her place.

That was the mistake she had ended up making all those months ago. She had been investigating and building quite a case against the man known as Elias. She had been searching around New York trying to gather some answers. All of her snooping around only resulted in her getting a bull's-eye on her back.

She didn't care if the same scenario happened to her again because she knew in her heart that Szymanski wouldn't have done something so malicious and figured that someone had it out for him from the start. She thought that it was all connected to the fact that he was due to testify in court later that week against a pair of Russian brothers for their drug dealings.

Clearing Bill's name was essential after the accusations that had been made against him. His lawyer emphasized that his testimony was needed if they had any chance of having a case against the men. It was all linked somehow. The obvious plan would be to destroy any sort of testimony for these men, but what was their worth to this mysterious third party?

The first piece of the puzzle was of course back when Bill had been arrested earlier today. When the investigators from the neighboring precinct informed her that a local Narcotics cop had given them the tip, she had been highly suspicions that it had been Cal. It was just a gut feeling and she always trusted her gut as a cop. Even though they had tried to patch things up after the incident on the island, she was still weary of him after seeing how he reacted when she had upset him.

While she had been watching Bill's interrogation with Beecher, she had voiced her suspicions on who the informant was, figuring that if he was guilty he would admit to her that it was him. Needless to say that the approach worked; to her dismay and he confessed to it saying that it was one of his confidential informants that told him. Needing to deal with her anger later, she began to perform her own interrogation as she started asking for his CI's name.

He became evasive, giving her excuses before leaving the room without ever giving her an answer. She turned her attention back towards the two way glass while she got her thoughts together. She spent little time watching as Bill continued to defend himself before she sat down back at her desk and began to look around.

It was eating away at her core that there was something much larger at work here and maybe another storm was about to rock her life. Then again, only a few people seemed to act like they even gave a damn when they heard the news, including herself and Fusco. She promised herself that she would get Bill justice and clear his name. She gave her word to do it for his wife. The detective had been married for ten years and she had known his wife Lauren for about three. She was a spunky red head that was quite the daredevil; doing things spur of the moment.

Joss enjoyed their company, especially when Taylor would spend time with his friends. She knew that she would have to confront Lauren eventually and ask her for any possible clues or if anything happened before her husband left for dinner.

The TV in the precinct continued to broadcast the news of the incident, disgusting her each time she heard the details. To take her mind away from it, she continued her quest as she looked through more files, searching for the one thing to break this case wide open.

* * *

Meanwhile on the other side of town, Reese was making the familiar trip to the library. Carrying the usual cup of black coffee for himself and green tea for Finch, he made his way to the landing of the abandoned building.

He had made this trek so many times that it had become second nature to him.

Reaching the gated off area, he pulled the steel back, the sound announcing his arrival. Bear was the first to greet him of course, running up to him with that smile on his face and the fierce wag of his tail. This addition to the team always helped to brighten up things for not just him but for Finch, who had finally come to accept his company weeks ago.

Walking past his furry companion, he greeted Finch who had been hard at work on his computer. "So Finch, who is going to need saving today?" He couldn't help but notice that look of worry in his eyes again.

He had seen that same look before back during the case of the serial killer when they had received the numbers of the murder victims.

"I'm afraid that we may have a problem Mr. Reese." He stood up from his chair and limped over to the old glass bulletin board with something in his hand. This had become a routine as well for both of them so John knew that it would be their next number.

When Harold taped the photo up, he recognized the gentleman right away as Detective Szymanski. He remembered the man from a few months back when he had gotten him shot after giving up the safe house to Elias to save Leila. It looked like fate had a way of dealing its hand.

"So let me guess, he pissed off the wrong people and now they want him dead," he said jokingly. He figured that it was an open and shut case like it had been with Carter. Before his thoughts drifted to her, he continued to grill Finch for information.

"What's going to be first? Do you want me to jack his phone or try to get inside his house?"

"I'm afraid that will be unnecessary Mr. Reese."

The next photo that Finch put up was that of a crime scene. One of the bodies in the scene was easily identified. The male corpse was of Detective Szymanski while the other, a woman in her mid forties, was a still a mystery to them.

"As you can see, the situation has taken a turn for the worst. On the news broadcast, it is reported that the good detective attacked the mayor's political adviser and was stopped by his personal security. Unfortunately the results are as you see."

John's mind was staggered by this new information. There was something not right about it and it was eating away at the back of his mind the second he saw the colorful scene.

"I can see from the distressed look on your face that you are as disturbed by the circumstances of the deaths as I am."

"No Finch. I'm disturbed by the fact that the machine didn't give us his number in time so that we could protect him. Once again, another person is dead when we had the chance to save him." He couldn't stop the anger from spilling into his words. This was supposed to be his job, but how was he suppose to do it when their source seemed to have a cold.

"Mr. Reese…"

"No Finch," his voice raised in anger. "We got into this together to protect good people and now your machine is losing its touch because of this virus that Kara spread; which we still don't know how to stop."

"Well maybe his number coming up can still be a benefit to us in some way."

"How so?"

"Well it may be that the machine sees something fishy with this case as do we and the local authorities may have missed something."

John took a closer look at the picture and did notice something out of place. "It doesn't seem like there was any sort of struggle. From the position of Szymanski's body, you can see, thanks to some help from the nearby light that his hands appear to be clean."

During his time with the military and the CIA, John had studied ways to identify certain weapons by the type of gunpowder residue that was left behind. In this case, it was clearly absent from his hands. It was quite apparent on the obvious gunshot wound to the heart.

"Finch, do you have any photos of the woman?"

Finch went back to the desk to look through the database. Once he found what he was looking for, he printed it out. "Yes, it appears that the young woman was a lawyer of Szymanski's."

He posted the photo of the scene from a different angle that defined the woman more.

"Why would Detective Szymanski be meeting with a political advisor along with his lawyer?" John noted that everything was clean with her as well except for the gunshot to the heart. The conclusion was obvious.

"It looks like they were just talking with the man and having a friendly dinner. From what these photos tell me, Szymanski was quite calm along with his lawyer while they were speaking with him about something. It's clear that they were both ambushed and someone else arranged the scene differently."

"It was reported that the Mayor's aide was also injured. He was taken to the hospital and it seems like he'll pull through. How do you account for that?"

"Finch, Szymanski was set up to be the shooter. Someone else was there and they took the shot, being sure to make it look bad but allow him to live. The wounds on Szymanski and the woman both appear to be close range. If the Mayor had been shot in the same distance, he would not have survived depending on the position."

"Well after hacking into the hospital database, it appears that he only went through minor surgery where they pulled out a single 9mm slug from his shoulder that they traced back to a gun found on Szymanski." Finch rustled through some more documents that could support the theory. "Well the slugs pulled from the Detective and his lawyer match a 45 caliber that Mr. Quinn currently owns. His statement was of course self defense, explaining that it was an attempted assassination because of his position of power as the right hand for the mayor."

"If that's the case, then how could it be that Detective Szymanski could sit down with Quinn for as long as he did before taking the shot, only to hit the shoulder which would just injure him not kill him?"

"Maybe there is more to the scene than the pictures are telling us."

"Looks like I'm going to have to pay the place a visit. What's the address?"

"It's in the Northern part of the city. It's near the Mayor's office. No doubt the scene will still be quarantined."

"Well, good thing I'm a part of the department," he said. He held up the badge that he stole from Detective Stills.

"Be that as it may Mr. Reese, it would be wise to contact Detective Carter since we know she was a close associate to the victim."

"You get right on that Finch, I'm going to head down to the scene." He turned away, intending to end the subject like he always had.

"Mr. Reese…" This caused him to stop, but not turn around. "You need to speak to her eventually. I have noticed that I have been the only one communicating with her since the incident with you and Kara Stanton and it is clear that you are avoiding her. I will not be able to solve this enigma if my employees and assets aren't able to communicate with each other anymore.

"It's not that easy Finch," he said simply then headed out.

Finch was of course right. He had been avoiding her since the incident with the bomb vest. He couldn't bring himself to see her again, not after what happened in that hallway when he thought that he would never see her again. Something unspoken had happened and since then, he couldn't get muster up the courage to see her. Instead, he just found himself making excuses to avoid her.

Whenever they needed information, he would have Finch call her. He would busy himself with Fusco since he couldn't face her. Back on the island, when she had tried to contact him through the radio, he wanted to respond to her so badly. It had been so long since he'd heard her voice. He missed her cocky attitude and refreshing presence. She was someone that wouldn't stand down to him and that was one of the things that he found so attractive about her.

He hoped that this wouldn't be the case that would force him to finally confront her.

* * *

A/N: First of all, I want to once again thank SWWoman and Maddsgirl75. This is my first big thing for this show and I needed all the help I can get. Please if you guys who check this out can, leave a review and tell me how it's going as I progress. I've seen that I had some pretty bad habits, especially with this because of how long it turned out. I would appreciate it immensely. Enjoy the first chapter and I hope that you are recuperating well Madds^^


	2. Grief

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. Once again, thanks to SWWoman and Maddsgirl75 for betaing this and catching lots of my mistakes.

* * *

Chapter 2 - Grief

Seeing the Mom and Pop stores whizzing by was a familiar sight to Joss as she patiently sat in the back of the cab. Finding that she needed to talk to Lauren, she told her chief that she would be looking for a CI to see if he had some information on a recent case. The captain looked to be quite busy dealing with the recent news. It looked like the department was getting quite a bit of undesirable attention and he was trying to rectify the problem. After letting him know, he gave her an acknowledged grunt, seeing that he still had his hands quite full.

After she left and closed the door to give him his privacy, she headed back to her desk. Joss made sure to pack all her files neatly into her desk drawers. She didn't want any prying eyes. After securing the drawer lock, she fetched her keys and thick jacket and was on her way.

She had opted to take a cab as a way of making sure that she wasn't drawing attention. She had been acting a bit more paranoid than she would like to be, but it would help for now since she didn't have all the facts just yet.

She had made this trip often in the past 3 years. She and Bill had been assigned as partners and they went together like bread and butter. They would joke around and hang out after work like the good friends they had become. As they got to know each other better, they would talk about troubling things as well. She had told him about her deceased husband while he spoke to her about a case where he had to kill a kid because he was holding a gun to a hostage's head.

They understood that this job wouldn't help with the stress levels that they would experience so the talks really helped calm things down. Talking around the water cooler, he would always chat on and on about what Lauren, his wife did the day before and Joss could see the sparkle of love in his eyes. He would talk about her often and Joss couldn't help but smile at the nature in which he told the story, always with a smile.

After a while, she had been invited to dinner with the two of them at Lauren's request. When she had arrived, Lauren was quite the host. She welcomed her with open arms, which was something Joss didn't get often in her line of work as a homicide detective. Lauren had made a beautiful roast and the three of them chatted about many things including vacations and funny incidents.

To this day, Joss would visit Lauren during her lunch break to have one of their friendly chats. They would only last for maybe a half an hour but she could tell that Lauren always enjoyed the time they spent together as well, no matter how long.

Unfortunately, the circumstances of today's trip were quite a bit more depressing. Joss had not personally told Lauren the bad news, Joss couldn't bear to face her and see her reaction. She'd never had this problem before when she would have to give the bad news to the loved ones of murder victims. She attributed her actions to the fact that they were really good friends. Now she would have to talk to the recent widow and see if there was something that she could tell her about the events leading up to Bill's death.

Joss knew in her heart that she had to clear Bill's name, not just for him but for his wife. She would allow Lauren her space however if she refused to talk to her. She wouldn't expect Lauren to be able to talk to anyone, possibly due to depression or anger. She would try her best and if she refused to speak to her, she wouldn't force the issue and find other methods to find out what happened.

The driver found a spot just in front of the old brick apartment building. It was remotely similar to her home except for the black color of the outside material. She couldn't help but take a deep breath to calm herself down. She was hoping that Lauren would be reasonable. Her instincts told her that there was something to be found here and she always trusted her instincts.

She couldn't recall the amount of times she had done this during the course of her career, visiting a mother and father or siblings of a murder victim to try to collect information or anything conclusive about the person's whereabouts or activities during the day. It was somewhat easier when there wasn't any sort of personal connection she tried to reason with herself.

She took the job of a homicide detective, knowing the effect that it would have on her and her sanity. In the Army, she had been able to keep her emotions in check and was able to care. Lots of men and women lose themselves when they go through something so traumatic. There were so many times when she would try her best to find the means to solve a hard case but constantly hit a dead end. It took many of her colleagues to convince her to file them as unsolved and it would leave her crushed.

As she looked through the first floor window, she could see movement in the corner of her eye as the curtains began to sway slightly inside. Lauren lived in the apartment where the curtains were so she knew that it had to be her. Carter continued to worry that Lauren would be angry with her, find her in some way responsible for what happened and turn her away. If she hated her and asked her to leave, she would respect her wishes because she understood the grief she was experiencing all too well.

Gathering her things together, she looked to make sure that traffic was clear before exiting the cab, the brisk December air made her pull up the collar of her jacket. She turned to the building and made her way up the clay stairs. Looking at the buzzers of the different tenants, she pressed the one that read Szymanski. The wait wasn't long as the beep sound was heard through the speakers, indicating that the front door was now opened and she made her way inside.

It was a step in the right direction, but that didn't necessarily mean that Lauren was in the mood to talk. She may have invited her in just to give her a verbal lashing before slamming the door in her face. The small hallway inside was quiet as she made her way over to her apartment unit. Standing in front of the door, she prepared herself for the worst as she raised her gloved hand and knocked gingerly on the door.

She waited as she could hear movement from behind the door and then the sound of locks being undone. The door then opened and what greeted Joss broke her heart. What stood in front of her was the middle aged woman that stood about five feet eight. Her red, bob cut hair was disheveled and her face was quite red. Joss could see the fresh tears clear as day and her puffy eyes were being tended to by a tissue. The two women looked at each other for what felt like minutes before Joss decided to say what she had to say.

"Lauren, look I'm just going to say something right now. I know that you hate me for what happened to Bill because you think it's my fault and I understand. I just want to let you know that whatever happens, I still know he's a good cop and I'm going to be damn sure to clear his name."

Before she attempted to turn around and walk away, Lauren threw herself forward, crushing her in a bear hug. She was clearly still distraught over what had happened and gave her a comforting hug in return. Once the exchange was over and they pulled away, Lauren invited her inside.

"Joss, I can't thank you enough for coming over today. I just don't know what to believe anymore." She could hear the desperation in her voice. Hopefully Joss could help her somehow.

There was a different feeling in the apartment from her last visit a few weeks ago. The main thing that she noticed was that the entire collection of pictures of Lauren and Bill had been arranged face down so that they wouldn't be visible.

Joss took a moment to look around the apartment, a chill crawling its way up her spine even though she was still enveloped in her jacket.

"Have a seat Joss. I'll bring you some coffee. You still take yours black, no cream and two sugars?" She nodded her answer and watched Lauren walk to the kitchen.

She began to recall how many times she sat on this exact same cushion, sharing tales of her cases with Lauren. She always got a kick out of some of the more humorous tales of bad guys that were just too easy to bag.

Lauren understood the dangers of the job. She knew that Bill was putting himself through a lot of trouble to make sure that she was financially taken care of. She was happy for him because he would make a difference every day and wouldn't compromise his morals for anyone that didn't obey the law.

"I just don't understand why all this is happening to us," she heard Lauren state as she came back into the living room with two large ceramic mugs. She handed one over to Joss as she took a seat opposite of her. Joss had noticed that she had cleaned up a bit but the look in Lauren's eyes told her that the widow hadn't gotten much sleep since she had gotten the bad news.

"I take it that you heard what they have been saying about him?"

Lauren continued on. "How could I not, it's on the news every time I turn on the television? I just don't understand how these reporters can just sully Bill's name like that, calling him a dirty good for nothing cop and an attempted murderer. That's not like Bill at all. He would never hurt anyone at all."

Joss put her cup down and reached over to cover Lauren shaky hands in reassurance. "I know Lauren. Believe me I'm in the same boat as you with all of this. That's actually the reason why I came to see you today." Lauren took a sip before placing the cup on the wooden coffee table, a ghost of a smile gracing her tired features. "I'm just glad that you are alright Joss. I was worried that something might have happened to you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you were his partner and friend. You helping Bill clear his name with the misunderstanding earlier and I was just thinking that the same guys that did this to him might be coming after you." Lauren was a very smart woman, learning a few tricks of deduction from her husband.

"So you think that this is connected to the trial that Bill was supposed to testify?"

"How could it not? He went over the case with me these last couple of weeks whenever we had dinner and Bill told me himself that he was the key witness that would put those brothers away."

"I heard from him not long before he headed out of the station yesterday. It seemed like nothing was wrong when I spoke to him."

"It was all so sudden. We were just having lunch after he came home during break when the officers came to our door."

"Did you recognize any of them?"

"No, none of them had been in Bill's precinct. When I answered the door, they told me that they had a search warrant for the house due to an anonymous tip. Bill let them in of course because he didn't have anything to hide. After looking upstairs, one of the officers found a plastic bag with a bunch of money it in."

"I saw the same bag when they brought Bill over to be interrogated. Bill was quite adamant that it wasn't his."

"Of course it wasn't" she insisted with a raised voice. "Bill would never accept money to look the other way."

"I know Lauren. I tried to convince the arresting detective that too." She watched as she took another sip of her coffee, trying to better recall the events of that day.

"So do you know who gave them the tip Joss?"

Joss sighed "Yeah unfortunately. It was a narcotics detective named Cal Beecher. I was in an off and on relationship with him. He told me while we watched the interrogation that he got a tip from one of his CIs but wouldn't give me a name."

"Are you sure that he's involved?" Joss shook her head. She was confident that he wasn't innocent in all this at least. "Thank you for looking out for Bill. He was quite grateful when he came back home.."

"Of course, what are friends for? Was there anything else out of the ordinary that day?"

Lauren shook her head. "No. After you helped Bill, he just came home. He seemed calm enough, figuring that this was all one big misunderstanding because of someone that knew the brothers that he was going to testify against. It was an easy opportunity to frame up a cop to make him look like a bad witness and get the case thrown out. I always clean up the bed when we would wake up and never saw that money before until they supposedly found it there. Bill keeps to himself sometimes, but I know that he's not doing anything wrong."

"What about Alonzo Quinn, how does he fit into the picture?"

"Bill wanted to go over to his office with his lawyer to discuss the case and what the mayor could do to help. When he didn't come home that night, I was of course worried. I tried calling the station without any response. I ended up finding out on the news the next day what happened." She began to break down in front of her.

Joss got up from her seat and walked over to her. She placed her hand on her shoulder to comfort her, grabbing and handing her a nearby box of tissues. Joss knew the pain in losing someone you loved all too well. It's never easy to just move on.

She looked towards her with pleading eyes. "Please Joss, find out the truth about what happened. I don't want people to think that I was married to a terrible person. Bill was a good man and I don't want his named to be soiled."

"Don't worry Lauren. I will find out the truth. I promise" she said sincerely.

She got up and hugged Joss once again. "Just be careful okay. I'm afraid to think that you may be in deeper then you think when you got him released from custody. You are a force to be reckoned with, but be on your toes okay?"

Joss nodded her head as she accepted her advice gratefully. Lauren had a point. She was now involved in this whether she liked it or not. Now she was going to do her best to make things right.

After finishing her brew of coffee, she gave Lauren another reassuring hug while telling her what her plans were. For now she would head back to the station and do some more digging.

"Give me a call if you can think of anything else or if someone comes sniffing around that you don't know okay?" Lauren would follow her warning too. Her life would depend on it if things were as serious as she feared. Joss bid her goodbye and headed towards the street to hail another cab.

When she was about to look up the street to start searching, she suddenly got an inexplicable chill running up the course of her spine. She recognized the feeling all too well that felt like she was being watched by someone. Surveying the area, she didn't notice anyone suspicious or anything out of the ordinary. She decided not to harp on it for now and managed to get a nearby cab to head back to her desk. The first thing on her list would be to look at the details of the case more closely again. There may be some more information that she may have missed.

* * *

A/N: Once again thanks to my betas SWWoman and especially Maddsgirl75 for doing her best under the circumstances. Thank you for what you were able to do and I greatly appreciate it. I also want to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I made sure to respond to everyone that I was able to and to the guests thanks from me since I can't PM you. I hope that you guys will stick around and continue to let me know how this is for you. We are officially on a big hiatus til our guys come back and they will be coming back on a new night and time nonetheless. Hope this story helps curb you depression guys.


	3. Investigating

Disclaimer - None of this belongs to me. I'm only borrowing the characters to get me through the summer hiatus. Thanks to SWWoman for betaing this chapter. Big hugs.

* * *

Chapter 3 - Investigating

John stepped out of the car to be greeted by the cold breeze that had been present since morning. He withheld the shiver as he began to survey the location.

He had followed Finch's instructions and drove for the better part of a few minutes before he had gotten into the more politically connected area of New York. Just on the outskirts of Brooklyn, this part of the city had its number of big name investors and expensive cars littering the street. On the sidewalk, you can see men in suits that were worth thousands of dollars debating on who you would be voting for in any election on a daily basis.

John was glad to be able to avoid such trivial manners such as this. The subject of politics was definitely not a topic that he favored, especially considering how many people have been corrupted by the power they are given when they are voted into office. It wasn't like he could be involved anyway. The world thought that he was dead and he treasured his ability to fly under the radar.

He stood in front of the lavish office of Alonzo Quinn. From what Finch had told him, the man was the political advisor to the Mayor. It would have been no surprise that someone like this would not have been publicized because of the shooting. It would have indirectly affected the Mayor as well and people would look to him for answers.

Finch's information was correct as always. The area looked to be intentionally deserted as to not draw too much unwanted attention. It looked as though the usual security was still making their rounds as he saw one man near the front door. He noted that there was still the telltale sign of the yellow police tape which would keep civilians away. He made his way off the street. He then headed towards the double doors only to have the big guy stand in his way, trying to look intimidating. Reese just responded with his own stare, showing that he wasn't affected in the slightest.

"Excuse me but no one is allowed past this point. If you know what's good for you, you'll get back in your fancy car and take off" warned in a deep voice.

John couldn't help but smirk inwardly, thinking about other options if this guy proved to be more trouble than he was worth. "I'm Detective Stills. I'm here to look over the crime scene again for my investigation. There may be vital clues inside that have been overlooked."

"You got a badge?" he asked.

Reese reached inside his coat and got the item he had acquired all those months ago when he first started this crazy job. He raised it to view, making sure to hold it up close to his face so the guy could actually read it. After an annoying wait, the guard finally accepted the identification.

"Okay cop, just go in there and hurry up. We gotta start cleaning up for when Mr. Quinn gets back from the hospital."

"Don't worry, I will be quite brief." He didn't bother thanking him. There was no point. John made his way around the human wall and went under the police tape, being sure not to dislodge it too much as it might arouse suspicion if another officer happened to show up. He walked through the narrow hallway that was furnished with quite a few expensive pieces of art against the wooden décor. John could already tell that this guy was no saint from the first five seconds of stepping inside.

He took the turn at the end where he found another police tape barrier. He slipped through it carefully and found himself in the room that he recognized from the photos. The police did quite a number on the scene. There was quite a bit of disheveled items, probably from the police's messy attempt at gathering evidence.

John took a moment to examine everything from where he was standing. He learned that sometimes you can notice things without even stepping foot into the situation. The main thing that had caught his eyes immediately was what he initially saw. He couldn't help but be suspicious since police tend to take care not to be messy inside of an active crime scene. It looked as if almost no care had been taken to preserve evidence.

He came to the conclusion and it had appeared that it had been reported as a simple attempted murder. The evidence had been collected and it should have been an open and shut case. If the evidence had been enough, then why were things like the books on the shelf and a table in the far end of the room searched thoroughly? There would have been no reason for any of it.

He took a few more steps around, being sure to widen the gaps in his pace as he wanted to get the chance to look where he was going. There were evidence markers in only five spots. Three were indicating where everyone was found at the time the police had arrived while the other two were where the guns were found after the area had been cordoned off for the investigations. He noticed that the chairs that were most likely occupied by the detective and his lawyer seemed to have stayed in place during the incident.

If someone had decided to do something like this at the spur of the moment, why wasn't anything disrupted? The scene presented a calm demeanor, not someone that suddenly pulled out a gun to take a shot at someone. He looked around the other side of the table and saw that the lone chair on the other side had been pushed back mere inches, but the chair was still upright regardless. It didn't look like a scene where someone had tried to defend himself from a shooter.

John tapped the ear piece to begin the call. "Finch I've arrived at the scene a few minutes ago. There is definitely something fishy about everything here. It just doesn't look like anything even remotely happened here excepted for a couple of chairs being moved out of place. The only other things that are out of order are the places where police were searching around."

"Do you believe that it may have been some sort of cover-up for Mr. Quinn?"

"I'm not sure yet. All I know is that this was a one sided fight and it appears that the good detective and his lawyer didn't stand a chance in the slightest." His brain began to process something as he looked at the position of the evidence markers. "Finch, the report said that Quinn was shot with a 9mm correct?"

Harold brought the report up on his screen for confirmation. "That is correct. The angle of the shot suggested that Szymanski stood up and aimed down at him."

"Well then there is a problem Finch. How does someone take an angled shot without getting up from his chair? From the looks of things, I can tell you that Szymanski never even reached for his gun. He was ambushed as was his lawyer."

"Can you prove the theory Mr. Reese?"

He scanned the area quickly. "Not physically. By the time I get back to you, this place will be cleaned up and it will be as if nothing happened." John's stomach turned a bit at the thought that he knew that something was amiss.

"So suffice it to say, you believe that Szymanski and his lawyer were ambushed? Do you believe Mr. Quinn is responsible?"

"Think about it Finch. It seems too clean…"

"Mr. Reese, I may have discovered something of interest." John's ears perked as he heard the typing in the background. "I just began to review the detective's case file and discovered that he had agreed to testify against men from the Russian mob for a drug bust."

"When was the date of the trial?"

He looked further down in the report. "It appears that it was supposed to be in a week."

"Maybe the Russians were financially helping the Mayor with his campaign and when the income got threatened, someone took action and came up with a plan to frame the main witness. Why else would they go through the trouble…" Something caught John's eye. On the wooden floor, he noticed a distinct pattern in the ground made more distinct by the dust in the air. John took out his phone and set it to take a photo.

"Finch, I think that I may have a clue on who else was in here. I'm sending you a photo of a shoe print that I found. I'm sure that it didn't come from any of the officers since the uniform uses a distinct brand."

"I will begin performing an analysis and checking the details. What will you be doing in the meantime?"

"I think that my work is done here. I don't think I will find anything else that could help. Besides, I need to get out of here before the clean-up crew stops by."

"Are you afraid to run into Detective Carter?"

John stopped in his tracks. "Finch, I told you that I didn't want to talk about her. I think I just need to keep my distance from her that's all."

"What if she is also investigating this case? That is quite the possibility since her and Detective Szymanski had been acquaintances. If we know her as well as we do, she could be bringing trouble down on her as well."

"Let's just hope that's not the case. I'll see you back at the library."

"Mr. Reese…" he disengaged the call before it went any further. He didn't want to get into another debate about her. Finch's words couldn't help but ring true to him though. Joss was a person who would never let someone's name be destroyed. It was in her nature. She was a genuinely caring person, especially when it came to others close to her.

Before his thought process could go any further, he reminded himself that now was not the time to fantasize about her. He dusted himself off and went out of the room, certain that he would not be able to find anything else. He headed out the door, never acknowledging the guard, and headed back to his car.

Hopefully Finch will have some more information by the time he got there.

* * *

A/N: I hope that you guys are still enjoying the story so far. Bear hug to SWWoman for taking the time to do this. Enjoy everyone and be sure to catch the rerun.


	4. Hospital Visit

Disclaimer: I don't any other the property. Just borrowing for this idea. Hurry up Season 3 T_T and thank you again SWWoman for dealing with me.

* * *

Chapter 4 - Hospital Visit

Cal didn't waste any time as he made his way over to the hospital. He had finally gotten permission after he received the call from his godfather. Cal wasn't at all in the dark about what Alonzo was planning to do when he informed him he would be meeting with Szymanski last night. He had actually hoped that the plan would go off without a hitch.

After separating themselves from Elias, he knew that the state of HR was dire, especially in the finance department. He had been given updates by Alonzo on a weekly basis as he continued to seek other means to acquire a steady stream of money. Cal had been the one to mention the case of the brothers after coming across the case one day.

He had acquired the file and given to his godfather at his request after he told him about it. From what he got from looking over Cal's research, Alonzo ended up considering the path less traveled. There would be a transfer of the two brothers where Officer Simmons talks to them without raising suspicions and he would give them the details of the deal. The hardest part of the whole plan by far would be trying to get them back on the streets to earn their trust.

Cal had done his fair share of dirty deeds for quite a long time. He had done them for so long that they have become second nature to him. Reviewing the case files for any sort of angle, he found a solution. That was when he discussed the plan to frame the testifying detective on the case. The angle was obviously that if the witness was compromised then the case would be thrown out the window.

Getting a search warrant proved to be quite easy after he paid off one of his CIs to give a fake tip about the detective being on the take. It was just a matter of the pieces falling together which they did. He sent another guy that he knew in the department and organization over to the house with a large sum of cash that he acquired from a recent drug bust.

Everything had gone according to plan. The detective was arrested and it seemed as though his credibility was in question well enough to keep him from making it to court. The only hitch that he didn't expect was that Joss Carter would end up interfering in everything.

He scolded himself for making such a dumb mistake as telling her that he was the detective that made the call. After their rocky conversations these last couple of weeks, she was still on the fence about dating him. When he talked to her in that interrogation room, he saw that look in her eyes. It was the look of someone who was determined to find answers.

It angered him because he knew that she would prove to be a difficult situation. He had been planted nearby to start surveillance on her because of her reputation for having nine lives within the criminal underworld. He had heard the rumors about her mysterious guardian angel that had saved not only her but her son's life in what seemed like the nick of time. He had thought it was all a fairy tale, that no one was that good.

Carter had proven exactly why she needed to be kept a close eye on. To Cal's amazement, she had managed to gather evidence on the detective's innocence. She had convinced the arresting investigator about the origin of the bonds and got the detective's name cleared. She was becoming quite a nuisance. Her combative nature had made things quite difficult as she would stand her ground, even against him. He would try to argue with her, but she wouldn't bend for him at all. She wasn't like any other woman Cal knew.

One look from him and other women would have just bowed down and do his bidding. Carter defied him in every way. This time however enraged him more than anything. If it hadn't been for her and her constant interference, then an alternative plan wouldn't have been put in place to have the deal go through. Everything that they had been working on almost fell apart when the brothers realized that they weren't going to be getting out. Alonzo had told Cal about his new plan which he didn't approve of, but accepted nevertheless, as it was the only other way in the short amount of time that they had.

His godfather told him that no matter what had happened, to wait until he got a call from him. He heard the news about the attack and couldn't help but smile. His godfather went all out and it paid off because the media would think that it was an attempted assassination to try to fluster the mayor. Alonzo would look like a hero while the detective's reputation's was sullied forever. It was a bonus that the man was also killed, thus silencing him and guaranteeing the release of the Russians.

It was so much easier to be on the other side of the law. He really wished that he could have convinced Carter of the mentality. She would be a perfect addition to their organization. Despite everything he had done to get close to her, she wouldn't give herself to him. Cal had become impatient with her. He wouldn't have said it directly to her, but he saw her as a tease. She just acted like she wanted it only to push him away when he tried to oblige.

He couldn't help but get the impression that her mind was somewhere else during the relationship. It was like she was waiting for something, but he couldn't care less what.

It's not like it ever mattered to him. He always had another woman to satisfy him on the side. He only hoped that Carter would keep her mouth shut this time. He was still pissed that Alonzo had to take a bullet because of her interference.

* * *

"Hey man, how's it going?" he greeted as he entered Alonzo's private room. He appeared to be preoccupied reading the paper before Cal's arrival.

"Well hello Cal. I do believe that we will not have to be worrying ourselves with the current situation of the Russians." He turned the paper around, showing the headlines. "It looks like things will be continuing as planned."

"I'm glad. I'm assuming that something has been bugging you since you wanted me to come."

"Yes Cal. That woman that we sent you to keep an eye out on, a Detective Jocelyn Carter, we need her to be taken care of."

"To what extent do you want to have this done?" Cal was all business when it came down to a bit of cleaning.

"We want her to meet an unfortunate accident. Elias attempted to take care of her as well before the intervention from this mysterious guardian angel, this guy in a suit."

"I'm sure I can put something together with one of my guys. I have it on good authority that Carter is going to be looking into this case rather closely and will be looking for some tips."

"Then let us provide her with some, shall we? Cal I trust that you will be able to get this done. You and Detective Terney have been quite efficient in your jobs."

"It's all for the greater good. I'm glad that Terney is such a good shot" he said referring to the bandaged shoulder.

"I will be back at work in a couple of days. In the meantime, see that this little matter gets resolved would you?"

"Of course Alonzo, I'll talk to you later when I have something done." He shook his godfather's hand before making a quick exit.

LINE BREAK

As Cal made his exit from the hospital, a person came to his mind on who could do the job. Reaching into his coat pocket while discovering a secluded area, he found his cell phone and dialed a number.

After a few rings, the person on the other end picked up. "Hey Beecher, how's it going?"

"Hey Carl, it's been going okay. I take it you have seen the news."

"Yeah man, it's crazy. Do you have a reason for this social call?"

"As a matter of fact I do. I'm in need of your services. It will be your usual fee of course along with a small bonus."

Cal imagined the man's ears perking up. "Well well, who's the cop that you need to disappear?" He knew Carl's work and giving a bonus told him right away that the job involved an officer.

"Not disappear so much as have a unfortunate accident. I need you to provide a false tip to Detective Carter and take care of the rest."

"You mean that sweet little honey that you've been hanging around with?"

"She's nothing special, just another goody two shoes cop that doesn't know when to keep her nose out of other people's business."

"I see. Well I can think of a really easy way to get rid of her."

"Let me hear it."

After a few minutes of tentative listening, the smile on Cal's face grew wide as he overheard the plan. There was no chance of her getting out of this. Her luck was about to run out.

* * *

A/N: Well, the summer continues to drag on. I don't know how much longer I can survive this. I guess my brainwashed mind has to do something for my entertainment and yours. Hope it worked for the week guys and thank you again SWWoman. Chatting it up with you and Shules is helping me get through this summer^^


	5. The Call

Disclaimer: The property of the characters belong to the brilliant minds of Nolan and Abrams. I'm just borrowing for mine and others entertainment. Thanks SWWoman for continuing to look over my stuff.

* * *

Chapter 5 - The Call

It felt like she had aged decades as she battled the forceful pounding in her head. Joss continued to filter through mountains and mountains of paperwork. She had requested anything that was related to the case. She spent the better part of the day calling in favors to get reports and photos of the crime scene.

She scanned through different types of files she had acquired, whether it was on paper or digital through databases. She wanted to figure this out with all her heart for Lauren's sake. The wheels in her head were in overdrive as she tried to put the pieces together to this massive puzzle. She had parts here and there, but she just couldn't find the one thing to fit them all together.

She knew that her answers lay with Beecher's CI. There was no doubt in her mind that he was involved in all of this one way or another. She was so stupid to have tried to continue the relationship with him. Then again, she found that her head wasn't really in the relationship to start.

She had been hesitant to do anything physical with him, to move things forward and bring things further for one reason. Her thoughts had been distracted by another man. More specifically, it was the 6'2 blue eyed vigilante that she now considered a close friend.

She had noticed weeks ago that they hadn't spoken since that day he almost killed himself to protect others, including herself, from the bomb vest. She had found her only communicating with Finch who usually required information and she couldn't get any real details from him on what was going on. She wondered if he was alright.

She knew it was a crazy thought, but she was worried that he became more fragile somehow. Before she could dive into other scenarios for this sudden separation, she shook her head.

What was she doing? She was supposed to be solving this case, not daydreaming about a man who caused more trouble than most criminals that she arrested. Her eyes went back to her desk and got back to work on the evidence she managed to scavenge up. She had the slugs that were dug out of both Alonzo Quinn and Bill. There was something wrong with this. It all seemed too staged to her.

When she looked at pictures from the scene, she looked at the table where everyone was sitting. It was eating away at her that the chairs weren't even tipped over. She knew that police officers cordoned off the scene as soon as it was reported so everything was the way that they found it.

She had her suspicions, but now it was too late to act on them because by the now the scene would have been cleaned up and the evidence washed away.

She sighed sadly to herself. The promise that she made to Lauren was sincere. She deserved closure from this more than anyone else and Joss was coming really close to believing that she would have to break the bad news to her.

"Damn Carter, get up on the wrong side of the bed today?" Fusco greeted with his usual sarcasm as he took a seat across from her with his lunch. They had been busy with other things so this was the first time they ran into each other so far.

"It's just this case with Szymanski. Something in my gut is just telling me that something's not right with any of this."

"Apart from the fact that you helped the guy get out of jail only for him to be gunned down a few hours later?"

"Yeah, it just seems too close, too convenient. The case on those Russian brothers is going to get thrown out without the testimony."

She suddenly saw a sandwich enter her view. She took it gratefully since Fusco could clearly see her distress.

"Look Carter, you tried your best. You can only do so much on one case before you have to call it quits." He saw as she put her elbows on the table and place her chin in her hands. "Have you tried talking to Wonderboy yet? Maybe him and glasses can help you out with this."

She shook her head. "I'm sure that they are too busy doing their own thing. Besides I don't think that they want to be bothered with something like this. Us cops have been doing this since before they showed up anyway."

"Are you sure it's not because of a certain thing that happened between you two lovebirds a few weeks ago?" She gave him a warning with her eyes, telling him to close the subject quickly. Fusco held his hands up in defense. "I'm just saying that I've been noticing I've been hanging around him a lot more even though you usually have nothing to do. You are really are missing out."

"Just drop it Fusco."

He returned back to his desk. "Okay, I'm just saying."

Before she could continue to scold him, her phone began to ring. She picked it up immediately. "Detective Carter homicide" there was just silence at the other end. "Hello?" she was about to hang up when a male voice spoke up.

"Hello, I'm going to make this quick. I may have some information for you."

"If you are going to help sir just called the local hotline."

"I have a tip about that guy that got killed, that cop that has been on the news." This caused her ears to perk up.

"What is it that you can tell me?"

"You have to meet me. I'm putting myself in danger just talking to the cops. I'm just a guy that hears things. Please you have to meet me. I need protection from my wife and kids too. The guys I work for would make us disappear. Please?"

"Okay, okay where do you want to meet?"

"Major Mark Park in Queens, be there once it gets dark so no one sees you" then the line went day.

"Hello? Hello?" she gave up and hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Fusco asked, overhearing her side of the conversation.

"Some guy called saying that he knows something about the case. I'm going to go meet him later today." She got up and began to move some things around on her desk again.

"You don't want any back up or something?"

"I'll call it in once I check to see if the guy is for real." She would do her best to keep busy until later.

When Fusco decided to let the topic drop, he watched as she scrambled through all the stuff on her desk. She would have her bulletproof vest on and her service pistol in her holster. There was no question that she wasn't going to take any chances. She also knew that it was dumb to go by herself, but she wouldn't want to draw any attention, especially if this tip panned out and the man's life was in danger.

* * *

It had become dark by the time John made it back. In the library, Finch and Reese looked at the series of pictures that have now been arranged to focus on the discrepancies that John had seen when he was there. Next to it were pictures of all the people that were involved and their associates. The first was Alonzo Quinn and his large list of friends.

"I guess being the political advisor has its perks" John commented noting that there were at least fifteen people in his bracket.

The next was Szymanski and everyone in the department that he knew. Finch decided to avoid placing Detective Carter's photo up, not wanting to incite another confrontation like earlier. He would get back around to the subject again if he needed to.

The final group consisted of the Russian Brothers that were supposed to go to trial next week. The affiliation they had would have shook things up in the criminal underworld if they had been convicted.

"The status with these gentlemen is that the trial will be thrown out. Unfortunately without the testimony from the deceased detective, they will be out in a matter of days."

"So obviously this is all connected but how does a political advisor to the mayor fit in all this. He's just pretty much a right hand man right?"

"Even a second in command can wield quite a bit of power Mr. Reese. That is the nature of politics."

"That is the reason why I don't like to get involved." His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he continued to look at the board.

While their attention was on the case, Finch computer beeped.

"Expecting a message Finch?" He joked.

Finch walked back over to his chair and began typing furiously. "No, I am not expecting any sort of incoming information." He continued to examine the computer. While performing his examination, he saw a notice on the upper right hand corner of the monitor. He recognized it immediately. "Mr. Reese I believe that we have another problem. The machine just gave us another number."

"Let's just hope that we can actually find them alive this time."

"It doesn't appear quite right. It's assembling the number at a slower pace then normal." When the Dewey Decimal System was assembled, Reese could see the panicky look in his eyes.

"Aren't you going to look up the numbers?"

He looked to be distraught which worried John. It took a lot to make Harold nervous.

"I don't have to. This is not the first time we've had to protect this person." He faced the monitor towards John. His eyes widen in surprise when the portrait of Carter was on the screen. "It appears that she has attracted the wrong kind of attention once again Mr. Reese."

"I'll call Fusco to keep an eye on her" he suggested quickly. The normal routine was clearly not happening with these last two numbers.

"Mr. Reese, I do believe that she made need better protection that Detective Fusco will not be able to provide. Do you not recall the first time her number was up?"

John turned his eyes towards him, the vision of rage at the memory engulfing him. "You don't have to remind me." How could he ever forget what happened that time? He had done all he could to protect her only to have her almost die in that alleyway because of his negligence. He could never forgive himself for letting her get hurt.

"I just can't bring myself to see her yet" he said simply before pulling out his phone. Dialing the number, he began to pace as he waited for him to pick up.

"Miss me already?" he answered after the third ring.

"Lionel, I have no time to chit chat. Is Carter with you?"

"No, she just took off to a park in Queens to follow up on a tip that called in a little while ago."

"Why are you not with her?" he tried to keep his cool, remembering her stubborn nature.

"She told me that she would call for back up when it looked like the coast is clear. What's going on? Is she in trouble again?"

"What do you mean again? Has something else happened to her lately?"

"Well she's been working on that Szymanski case all day today. She managed to get the guy's name cleared earlier when they brought him in on charges of bribery."

"That's why she's in trouble. Lionel I'm going after her. She may be walking into a trap."

"Damn it, what should I do?"

"If I know Carter, she going to suspect something is wrong and call for back-up the moment she gets there. Just wait till then. I'm going to head to her location since I'm closer and I'll have enough time to get her out before the cops show up."

"Well you better get there fast because she's been gone for about 15 minutes" then the line went dead as Reese hung up the phone, preparing to bolt out the door.

"Finch, get me a location on her phone. Fusco told me she's heading to a park in Queens to meet an informant."

"Do you really believe that she's walking into a trap?"

"This case is connected to her because she had helped the man earlier. The threat sees her as someone they need to get rid of to proceed. I've got to find her before these guys do." He turned around and rushed out the door to head to the park.

Hopefully this time the machine wouldn't be too late.

* * *

A/N: I'm so mad that it's only been a month since the finale. I don't think I can last much longer, even with all the sexy photos being posted on the Facebook groups. Anyways now that I got that out of my system, SWWoman big thumbs up from me. I really love seeing the red marks when you give my stuff back because I know that you are awesome at catching those stupid mistakes. To everyone else, please enjoy this chapter with my love for this great show and the rage at how slow the summer is going^^


	6. Ambushed

Disclaimer: This is the property of CBS, Abrams, and Nolan. Thank you once again SWWoman for the beta.

* * *

Chapter 6 - Ambushed

The brisk December air greeted her once again as Joss got out of her car. She had arrived at the park in record time because of how anxious she had become. As she looked around, she saw that the sky had almost become pitch black. She searched around a bit more to find the entire area had been deserted. There were no cars parked outside or any noises from chattering pedestrians. This had been the scenario she was afraid of. If she was in trouble, there could be chance that back up wouldn't be able to get there in time or she wouldn't be able to get to her phone.

She then scolded herself for jumping the gun when it came to this call and not being more careful. Her judgment was probably clouded because she had wanted to have something, anything, so bad that could help with the case that she jumped at the first chance that something legitimate finally came up.

She walked over to the entrance to the park, outlined by a brick walkway. It housed a beautiful sight to her as she looked at the snow covered trees that littered the area along with the lightly packed snow on the ground. From what she could tell, there was no one around anywhere. The crunching of the snow under her shoes was louder than normal as she began walking closer. The lights in the park eased her tension a bit but she decided not to take any chances because only a small part of the park was illuminated.

She took out her cell phone as she began her trek inside. She dialed the number for Fusco's phone. While waiting for him to pick up, she looked around to find any sort of indication that someone else was around. It really did look to be deserted as she followed the path past a statue and made her way to a wooden pedestrian bridge she saw in the distance.

After a few rings, he picked up. "Detective Fusco?"

"Hey Fusco, it's me. I'm going to need you to come right now. I think I'm in way over my head."

"Carter wait, I got to tell you that…" It was then that the surroundings lights that she was in the middle of gone out and the area became pitch dark. Joss was suddenly on her guard as she took out her weapon and tried to get her eyes to adjust.

"Fusco, you better get here quick" she said before hanging up the phone, not hearing Fusco's words about John being on his way.

She returned the phone to her coat pocket and gripped her pistol. She took a stance and pointed the weapon in front of her. She did her best to scan the area and look at any possible hiding spots that she could make out. She had been in situations like this before. The sudden outage was meant to scare her, possibly throw her off her guard and fluster her. She recognized this tactic all too well because she had run into it quite a few times in her career.

She tried to control her breathing so that she would be able to hear anything out of the ordinary with range. The cold air filled her lungs to capacity as her eyes looked through the groves of trees. It was then that the same eerie feeling began to creep up her back like it did when she left Lauren's house. She had brushed it off as her imagination the first time, but now she knew that this person had it out for her.

In the dead of night, it was so silent that you could hear a pin drop a block away. Joss slowly creeped her way over to the bridge as it would be a tactical advantage for her. If she were to be ambushed, the culprit would have to come from one of two sides and she would be able to see them coming sooner. She would have to be careful since backup would take at least twenty minutes to get to her location in minimal traffic and she didn't want to move too quickly.

Her heart was picking up the pace as she continued to inhale the freezing air. The December chill didn't help with her grip. She began to shake involuntarily as she continued to move to her objective. As she reached the edge of the bridge, she could hear the sound of movement coming from behind her getting louder.

She then tried to deter the ambusher. "I'm Detective Carter from the NYPD! Whoever you are come out with your hands up and I will not shoot you!" Her sight was obscured for only a second and that was the opportunity that the unknown assailant needed.

He silently drew closer to her. He managed to stay out of her line of sight long enough to close the gap between them as she drew closer to the bridge. When she turned her back to him for a longer period of time, he took the chance to attack.

The moment happened so quickly and Joss never saw it coming. The sudden sound of another pair of feet crushing the snow reached her ears too late. The blow to her neck was hard enough to render her unconscious and she fell to the ground dropping her gun. Carl stood over her, almost invisible thanks to the black coat and pants that he wore.

"Such a shame, you really are a looker. Oh well, business is business" he said coldly as he lifted her limp body up to his shoulder. He went up to the bridge that she had intended to go on. The water would be freezing and it was deep enough that it would look plausible enough to fit the story. The body would be found the next day and Cal's problems would be solved.

He stood up to the railing. He didn't hesitate as he slid her off his shoulder and dumped her over the railing.

The sound of splashing water was deafening.

* * *

Carl dusted his hand, his work done. When he turned around to head home however, something was blocking his way, more like someone.

In front of him stood a man that was about six feet tall with graying brown hair. He was wearing an expensive suit, jacket and shoes. There was something he saw in the man's eyes. It was indescribable but it looked as if they were glowing even in the dark.

"So who the hell are you?" Carl asked, quite surprised that there was going to be a small hitch in his plan.

"A friend" he said simply before stepping up to him.

"Look buddy, you picked the wrong time and place. When I'm done here, maybe I'll add you to the water too."

John didn't answer. He couldn't be bothered to waste time now. He had managed to arrive at the park and saw Joss' car in the front. He followed the path nearby, becoming more anxious as he followed the path of footprints until he heard the splash of water in the distance. Making it to the bridge, it didn't take him long before he realized what had happened. He had to take care of this guy quickly and get her out. He put his hands up, ready to engage in close range combat.

Carl couldn't hold the snort that escaped him. "Are you kidding me? Whatever guy, your funeral." He put his hands up in response. Nobody made the first move for about ten seconds. The timer for Joss' was ticking louder and louder in John's head.

The first move was a straight punch to the assailant's wrist. The force of the blow would deter him for a moment. When his fist made contact, he struck a nerve and Carl pulled the hand back, shaking the pain away or at least tried to. He attempted to take a swing only for John to avoid it easily, giving him a chance to hit Carl in the side of the neck. Carl stuttered backwards, the small blow causing some serious damage and bringing a bit of blood to his mouth. Carl began to grow impatient, which was exactly what John was looking for. Having enough of the games, Carl charged forward with his full weight into it. John waited until the last possible second so that Carl couldn't dodge before slamming his fist point blank into his face.

John felt the force of the blow break Carl's nose and jaw. He watched as the man fell backwards onto the bridge, clearly unconscious. John then shifted priorities and ran to the outer edge of the bridge. When he reached the water, his eyes began searching while he removed his jacket and earpiece. He could make out a part of the water where there was a dark shadow. He quickly dove in and made his way over to the spot. The freezing air began to burn his lungs, but he didn't care. He knew that he would endure any sort of hardship for her.

He dove down as he got near. While swimming through the quiet and freezing water, he could make her out sitting near the bottom. The trek to reach her felt so long to him. He couldn't help but wonder if he was too late. His arms felt like they were fighting through miles of cold needles and he could feel every inch of his body beginning to absorb it. He had to try his best not to falter or he would never be able to get to her. He bit down the pain and paddled through the water, going deeper with each stroke. When he finally reached her, he didn't hesitate as he hooked his arms under her shoulder before swimming back up to the surface.

He had to let go of one side to get some sort of leverage to reach the surface as his legs were pumping to move two people through this freezing situation. Finally, for what seemed like decades, he broke the surface. He sucked in the frigid air because he had been on the brink of running out of air while bringing her back up. He swam backwards while trying to keep her face above the water using a free hand. She was extremely pale, her skin actually becoming quite blue and he saw that she wasn't moving or breathing.

He began to panic when he got them to the shallow end and he carried her out of the water. He laid her next to his things and he began to examine her. His first move was to begin searching around for a pulse.

First he checked her wrist. It was silent and still.

He next moved his fingers to her neck. The vain was unresponsive there as well.

"Joss…come on" he begged as he began removing her soaked jacket and unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt.

Once her chest was exposed slightly, he began pressing against it with the palm of his hands as he began to do CPR. He pressed against her chest ten times then performed the next step. He pinched her nose and then pressed his lips against her mouth, hopefully breathing life into her body. He couldn't help but be intrigued for a moment because despite how long she was in the water, her mouth was still as hot as fire.

He continued repeating the process, savoring each time he made contact with her mouth. Each time he had to start over began to eat away at him internally. He would silently beg that he wasn't too late. He would never have forgiven himself if she was gone.

A few attempts in, he began to grow more frustrated. "Come on Joss, breathe" he begged as he breathed into her again after an unknown number of times. He refused to give up, it wasn't in his nature. He wasn't sure how long he was at it before he had finally broke ground. While breathing life into her for what seemed like the hundredth time, he felt the overwhelming sense of relief as he heard her coughing and spitting up water.

"Thank god" he whispered while bringing her into his arms. "Carter…Joss, can you hear me?" he asked once she settled down. Her body continued to shiver involuntarily because of the cold. There was no other movement to indicate that she had heard him.

Looking around, he reached for his earpiece. Putting it back into place, he put a call through to Finch.

"Mr. Reese, is everything alright?" he asked as he heard loud coughing in the background.

"I'm fine Finch. I got…got here just in time" he said out of breath. His little swim had taken a bigger toll on his lungs then he thought.

"What about Detective Carter?"

"She's starting to get hyperthermia. Finch, the guy threw her in the lake and tried to make it look like an accident." He looked down at her unconscious form, delicately brushing away some of her wet strands of hair away from her freezing face. "I have to get her out of here" he remarked.

"What about the threat against her?"

"Fusco should be on his way soon. Let him know that the guy is having a nap on the bridge closest to the entrance."

"On it John, update me if anything should happen."

John pressed the ear piece to end the call. He was right about the sense of urgency noticing the color of her lips were now a shade of blue that matched his own eyes. He grabbed his jacket and wrapped it over her. Right now, he didn't care if he froze all of his damn fingers and toes off. He was only worried about her. After seeing her for the first time in weeks, it sprouted up the feelings that he didn't want to confront just yet. For now, he would have to focus on getting her out of here and warm before the department showed up.

She may have been breathing but she wasn't out of the woods just yet.

* * *

A/N: Thanks SWWoman for being an awesome beta. Your edits made these chapters much better. Now unfortunately there won't be updates for the next two weeks because I'm going to be on vacation in Puertio Rico. I promise that things will be back on schedule when I get back. Enjoy the wait Mwhahahaha:)


	7. Close Call

Disclaimer: Not mine. CBS and the producers own the rights to everything. Lucky bastards. Credit to SWWoman for catching my mistakes. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 7 - Close Call

John and Joss were long gone by the time her back up had arrived. When she hung up on Fusco, he swore to himself before assembling a few men and women to head out. They had arrived at the disclosed park in a delayed fashion due to the heavy traffic as a result of the snow causing cars to be more cautious.

Arriving at the park, Fusco cordoned off the area and began a search. Each officer knew of the situation but didn't know the identity of the officer in danger. Fusco chose to leave Carter's name out, if only to avoid any questions for her when she managed to get back to the station.

The darkness made things difficult. One of the officers mentioned that it appeared that the lights were turned off manually. Equipped with flashlights, the men and women began a grid search to more efficiently conduct things with their limited vision. Lionel played along, being sure to take the route that would lead to the bridge.

He had gotten a call while he was on his way from Finch. He was relieved to hear that Carter had gotten out of there thanks to their mutual friend. He also informed him of the location of the attacker. Fusco would be sure to ask the guy a few questions once he was finished counting his stars.

It was becoming almost impossible to see, though, because of the lights being disabled. Just then, a nearby policeman yelled out, "I found the switch for the lights" before pulling the breaker up and illuminating the park once again.

"Nice one" Fusco praised. They continued on their task, now with the lighting aiding in their task.

A few feet down, Lionel spotted the bridge that had been pointed out to him by Finch. Just as he was told, he spotted a guy dressed in all black on his back near the railing.

"Hey, I've got someone here" he yelled out as he made his way over to the down perp. He pulled his gun out, anticipating a fight if the guy happened to regain his senses when he got close.

He held his pistol out in front of him. When he got close to the guy, he tapped him in the arm with his foot but got no response. He heard the other officers coming up behind him as he flipped the guy over to put the cuffs on him.

"Where's the victim?" a police woman asked.

"Well by the looks of this guy, I would say that they managed to get away. Let's give them some time before we get around to finding them and asking them questions.

Everyone agreed and someone helped Fusco dragged the guy to the cruiser. He couldn't help but laugh at the state of the perp. He saw that the damage was done, especially to his face. He had plans to interrogate the little princess once he woke up and get some answers. He wasn't expecting much, but maybe Finch could dig something up from whatever information he could manage.

Just as he was carrying him along with assistance, he felt the vibration of his phone, indicating that he had a new message. He handed the guy off to another cop before looking down.

The message read _Meet me around the corner Detective. _Knowing who it was from, Fusco told the officer to put the guy in his car while he checked something out.

Making his way to the designated area, he turned the corner to see none other than Finch standing next to what looked like Carter's car.

"So what do I owe the visit?" he greeted as he got closer.

"I am simply here to remove Detective Carter's car from the scene as to avoid any questions about her whereabouts. I'm also going make sure to relocate Mr. Carter to his grandmother's home until further notice."

"It's really that bad huh?"

"This man's attempt on Detective Carter's life may have been brought on by the Szymanski case that we have been looking into for a few days now."

"So what do you need?"

"I would like to see if it is possible if you could get any information from him. I understand that Mr. Reese dealt with him and has disabled the man for the moment."

"Yeah, the guy's going to be hurting for about a month after what Wonderboy did to him. I will see what I can do."

"Thank you. I will leave you to your work."

Harold maneuvered around and slipped into the driver's side. Fusco watched as he drove away, making sure that he didn't draw any unwanted attention.

They had thrown the guy into Fusco's back seat when he got back and he got inside. Everyone else got into their cruisers and all headed back to the station. He hoped that Carter was being taken care of because from the looks of this guy, she really did piss some pretty dangerous guys.

* * *

The loft was greeted with the sound of dripping water as John opened the door. He was carrying Joss bridal style while she was still wrapped in his jacket.

After he had managed to get her out of the park, he knew that the next thing he needed to do was take care of her until she woke up. He made sure to ease her body heat up, not wanting to shock her heart from a large heat source too fast.

Getting her in the front seat of his car, he had cranked the heat up not just for her, but for himself too.

He had a hard time keeping himself from crashing as he made his way through traffic to get to his apartment. His eyes would only leave Joss' body for a millisecond. He hadn't seen her in weeks and to see her like this stirred something indescribable in him. He had to be discreet enough to not be pulled over for barging through traffic in a panic. If he lost any time, she made not have made it.

It was a miracle that he found the streets to his loft empty, letting him make up for any time that he may have lost.

Once he closed the door with his foot, he made his way over to the bathroom to try to warm her up. Going inside the door, he sat her up on the toilet and then went over the shower. He knew that it would be impossible to get her to shower, especially since she only had the drying clothes on her back. Instead, he opted to just blasting hot water out of the head and allow the air temperature to rise. It was going to be slow, but it was the better way to go at the moment.

Once the air began to become a bit stuffier, he turned his attention back to her. She was still in the same unconscious state that she was when he pulled her out of the water, but the color was coming back to her skin. He breathed a sigh of relief that all she would need was some rest. He had his fair share of injuries and judging from the bruise he saw on her neck, she would be awake in a few hours.

Now there was just the matter of making her a bit more comfortable. He peeled the jacket away from her and put it on the edge of the sink. He would deal with all of the wet clothes once he got her into bed.

He gulped as he looked at her in her work clothes. He couldn't believe that he was afraid to do this despite his good intentions. Maybe it was because he knew that she would lash out at him for doing this.

He leaned over and began slowly unbuttoning the rest of her blouse. As he revealed more of her skin, he smiled as he saw the caramel color returning to it instead of the freezing blue that it was before he got her into the car.

Making short work of the buttons, he opened the shirt up. He then held her in one arm as he draped the sleeve over each arm. Piling it along with his jacket, he tried not to stare at her too much in her black bra. It hit him hard at that moment that he hadn't seen a woman this intimately since Jessica.

Shaking this thought out of his head, he moved on to the next step of removing her pants. After pulling her shoes and socks off her feet, he tried to balance her upright. He used one arm for support as he did before and undid the top of the jeans.

He did his best to not make more physical contact with her then what he really needed to.

Lowering the zipper, he let the pants drop down. He then eased her legs one at a time out before allowing her to sit back down. Once he was done with this task, he set off to his next. He gathered up their clothes and headed out of the bathroom. He headed over to a washer and dryer set that came with the apartment. He started the machine and put the clothes inside to be cleaned up. He wanted her to have some clean clothes for when she woke up.

For now, he went over to his clothing closet and grabbed one of the many dress shirts that he had obtained over the course of working with Finch. He proceeded to head back to the bathroom, making sure to grab a large towel from the linen closet before going back inside.

The air was quite a bit thicker at this point, but it provided the constant heat source that he was looking for. Making his way back over to her, he was disappointed to say the least that she still had not woken up.

John took the towel and patted her down gently, drying the small patches of water that still remained despite his efforts to keep her warm and dry. He then ruffled her hair with the large towel, founding it quite endearing to him to see her like someone that just woke up and took a shower. He just wished that the circumstances were just that. He repeated the process with her shirt in reverse as he slipped it on her body then buttoning it up.

When he was done, he took a moment to brush the rumpled locks away from her face. Examining it, he saw and felt that her temperature finally returned to almost normal.

He turned off the shower before reaching for Joss's body. He made sure that the shirt proved a barrier for his hands as he slipped them under her knees and neck. The shirt was big on her and it stopped just above her thighs. He was probably going to take some heat from her in the morning over her state of undress but as long as she was okay, he didn't mind.

He brought her over to his large mattress. He had not made the bed earlier, so the comforter was still towards the edge of the bed. He was able to ease her down onto the mattress with ease, noting a small change in her facial expression. She seemed more relaxed than she had been since he got to her. He tried to talk to her again.

"Joss, can you do me a favor and don't kick my ass too much when you wake up?" He reached down and pulled the comforter up to cover her body, stopping just below her neck. He brushed her cheeks with the back of his hands slowly. Assuring himself that she would be alright, he decided to let her get some more sleep.

As he went over to the couch to settle in for the night, his mind couldn't help but wander to what had happened tonight. He had quite a bit more concern over the case than usual because the machine wasn't able to save her friend, yet it managed to spare her a similar fate with only a few seconds to spare.

There was no turning back the clock. The only thing John could do now was sit here and wait for her to wake up to discuss her involvement in the case. What had she been up to warrant this hit on her?

He laid back on the couch and before he slept, he thought about the other issue that was irking at him. He needed to accept the fact that he had been intentionally trying to avoid her as much as possible until they were ready to talk about what happened. It was a cruel thing to do since they were friends, but he found that he just wasn't prepared to tackle the issue just yet.

He would have to wait until all of this died down before they got around to talking. He took another look at his mattress, seeing her buried under the comforter. Watching her breathing normally, he decided to get some sleep too. Settling on the cushion, his eyes drifted shut in a matter of minutes.

* * *

A/N: Well everyone, I have made my return and I bring updates as gifts. Thanks SWWoman for the betaing again. You are just awesome. Just to reassure everyone, there will be no more little breaks like that in the future. The updates will be on schedule again so cheer and rejoice. Also be sure to mark on your calenders Sept. 24 because that is when S3 will start. I can't wait.


	8. Waking Up

Disclaimer: This property does not belong to me unfortunately. Big kudos to SWWoman for looking this over once again.

* * *

Chapter 8 - Waking Up

Joss couldn't remember much after she was ambushed. All she could remember were the sensations. She recalled feeling violently cold and could feel something flooding into her body with such a force. The floating feeling was probably the most fearful one for her.

Was she dead? All she could see in her haze was the darkness and she just couldn't grasp what was going on. It was a strange sensation that she didn't want to experience anymore. Trying hard to move, she felt numb all over and her lungs felt like they becoming fuller by the second.

It was a sinking feeling that she felt for what could have been minutes or hours. Time was obscured in this part of her mental state.

Just as she had come to accept this feeling as her new reality, it just disappeared.

She remembered the feeling of being lifted up and a few moments later, there was a sudden and direct warmth traveling through her entire body. She had thought that it was something fleeting that would never return, but the feeling continued, becoming even stronger with each passing second.

She couldn't quite make out what it was. It was then that she felt the coldness wash away completely and she found she could move again. The only problem she needed to resolve now was opening her eyes.

Maybe she was just tired and needed her rest. She was just glad that she was going to be alright for her son's sake.

Now the question was when she would wake up and get some answers.

* * *

The noise of something being tinkered with reached her ears. Joss' body felt sore as hell, but she was feeling much better than she had moments ago.

She struggled for a moment to open her eyes as the first attempt was blinded by what she had assumed was a small bit of sunlight from a nearby window. She groaned as she tried again. Once she covered her eyes a bit, her eyes were able to adjust better. She was able to see blurry environment become clearer and she found herself first looking at a ceiling. The last thing she remembered was being in the park in looking for the informant.

Now she was in an apartment with soft sunlight streaming through the windows. She looked down to see that she was wrapped tightly inside a comforter which she thought explained the warm feeling she had been experiencing. She shifted her body slightly, feeling something different pressing against her skin.

She pulled herself up, letting the comforter slip down. Her eyes widen at her new attire that consisted of a man's white shirt and nothing else. She definitely didn't wear something like this before she left her house today.

Trying to get her bearings, Joss leaned her head against the headboard. This action caused a small amount of pain to shoot up her neck, causing a groan to escape her lips. This caught the attention of the other occupant of the apartment that she wasn't aware was still there.

"Well good to see you're awake" he said as she watched him messing around with a few things in his kitchen before coming over to her. She was taken aback by John's casual appearance. He was still wearing his signature white shirt and pants but he was barefoot. Another difference was that his shirt's first few buttons were undone.

She felt herself getting a little dizzy. She had accepted that he was consciously avoiding her these past few weeks and to see him so suddenly, especially like this, drove her a bit crazy.

"Hey take it easy" he said after noticing her reaching for her head.

"Where am I?"

"My place was closer to the park so I brought you here after what happened. Do you remember anything?"

She tried to recall the events in the park. "Well the last thing I remember was that I was in the park and the lights were suddenly cut on me. I tried to stand my ground but the guy got the drop on me in my blind spot."

"Where was your backup?"

"Um, I didn't really ask for one until I already got there." She could see the glowering look in his eyes and she spoke again before he could say what she knew he was going to. "I know I'm stubborn. I'm sorry but it's just that this case has got me all over the place and I'm not sure what to do anymore."

"Anything else?"

She shook her head. "What happened? Actually an even better question might be how you fit into this entire thing John."

He took a seat on the edge of the mattress. "Well I managed to get to the park after our source told me that you were going to be in trouble again. I stopped the guy from getting away but…"

"But…?" She could see him visibly struggle to recall the events. It was a strange sight to her.

"He had already thrown you into the lake. I heard the splash which was how I knew where you were. I got you out of the water and performed CPR. You were freezing and I doubt that you would be in the mood to answer any questions so I asked Fusco to take the guy into custody and for Finch to get your car out of there."

"Oh" she said. "So how bad was I?"

"I couldn't find a pulse and even after I managed to get the water out of your lungs, you were still freezing." He gazed upon her face to see her thinking of her next question.

"So I guess this is going to explain what the reason was for my change of clothes?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, I thought that it would be more comfortable for you while you warmed up. I'm drying your clothes in my machine. I'll be sure to give them back to you when it's finished."

"Thanks" she said. John could see the wheels in her head turning.

"So I guess that me being a POI is the only way I get to see you anymore huh?" she figured she would ask now than later.

"Well the problem is that I think you are connected to another number we got prior to yours."

"Really?" She felt herself sadden that he was quick to avoid the question and continue talking about the job.

"Yeah, it's Detective Szymanski's case that you seem to be taking a closer look at." He saw an emotion that he expected and prepared himself for the backlash of questions.

"Couldn't you have saved him!? What makes me so much more important than a good cop with a wife who is now a widow and wants answers as much as I do?" The rage in her voice was quite deep. She didn't like the circumstances in the slightest.

"It's just that our source is having problems and we got his number before we could do anything to help him. That may explain why your number came up. Maybe we can talk some more after you eat something?"

"You are supposed to be able to save people. What the hell happened this time?"

He tried to defend himself even though he had no right. "It was out of our hands. I know that's not the answer you want to hear, but it's the truth. I know that you cared quite a bit about him as an acquaintance and I'm sorry that I couldn't save him. I really am" he told her sincerely. "How about that food?"

She took a moment to think about what he told her before accepting his apology. "Yeah sure, hey John, look I'm sorry for snapping on you like that. It's just that I don't what's going on and I just don't like it."

"Don't apologize. I wanted you to know the truth rather than you find out some other way and you are a good cop too remember. Caring about the well-being of another cop like that is in your nature."

"I just wish that there was something we could have done for him. His wife is a good friend of mine too and I promised her that I would find out the truth."

"We are on this case because of the attempted murder on Quinn."

"I am too. It's too convenient because Bill had been taken into custody on the suspicion of bribery. I managed to work out a few of the details and get him released."

"So this thing with Quinn wasn't the first attempt to keep him from testify?" John asked, starting to see the missing pieces beginning to come together.

"No, I got that impression as well which is why I was looking into the details. I suspect that you managed to get in before they cleaned it up?"

He couldn't help but smile at her spot on guess. "You would be right. I did a little bit more digging and found a few things that say that this was a setup alright. That will be enough of that for now though, I'll bring you some food to eat here before we talk more about the case."

"Oh, that's fine. I can sit at the table" she reassured as she pulled back the blanket and threw her legs over to the edge.

"The thing is that you are just wearing my shirt Carter." She gave him an evil but playful glare. "Hey, I tried to be a gentleman but I didn't really have any clothes that were in your size."

"Just help me up from here. I feel like my legs are jelly right now."

"Sure." He waited for her to maneuver closer to the edge before taking her hand. He heard a sigh of content from her, understanding all too well why.

"You know we're going to have to talk about what actually happened John" she said, not at all referring to the case anymore.

"We will, I promise."

She took his word for it and got the assistance that she wanted. As she stood up, her body weight shifted forward and she felt his grip tighten around her. After straightening her body up, she gave him a smile of appreciation as they gingerly walked to the table.

"What's wrong with me?"

"It may have been from the impact of the water when you got thrown of the bridge" he stated as they made it to the table and she sat down. "I take it that your body isn't feeling too happy right now."

"Nope, I feel like I've been run over a dozen times, but I'll live thanks to you…again" the last part was said with an inflection in her voice. John caught it, but he chose to ignore it and continue on the task at hand.

He had been cooking up some food for her when he heard the groan from his bed. He fought the impulse to run to her side and instead acted casual. He was full of relief over her recovery, but now things were probably worse off now that she knew the situation.

Finishing up, he turned around and gave her a full plate before going to the fridge to get some orange juice. Joss couldn't help but laugh at how piled high the plate was. He had give her four pancakes, what looked to be five eggs worth of scrambled, two potatoes worth of hash browns and five sausages.

"What's so funny" he asked when he came back with a pitcher in his hand.

"I was just thinking that this was something my son Taylor would chug down before his day of school. Don't you think it's a little much?"

He poured her a glass. "Trust me, after what you've been through, you won't even be one-third full. You still need time to recover but at least you're awake and moving."

She nodded before digging in. She couldn't hold back the satisfaction on her face as she took a bite out of the eggs. The man knew his way around the kitchen better than she did, not that she would ever admit it. Instead, she decided to bring the topic back to earlier.

"So what's the plan with this case?"

John sat across from her with his own glass. "Well Finch is going to come by later to fill us in. He said that he's going to have Fusco question the guy, maybe get something off of his phone"

"Illegally of course" she said in a bit of grievance over his vigilante ways.

"Of course" he responded, giving her that mischievous smirk that warmed her heart ever so.

"Okay I'll clean up after I finished this" she said as she continued consuming her breakfast.

John just watched her, content that she was moving at all. He couldn't help but be worried about her status after he found her.

As he watched her, he knew he was right about the amount he had given her. In a matter of minutes, the contents of her plate had disappeared and she leaned back, her hunger sated.

She looked towards him, noticing the I told you so look as she realized what happened.

"Shut up, it would have been a waste."

"Whatever you say Detective."

"So how much longer is it going to take for my clothes to get cleaned?"

"After you wait a few minutes to let the food settle, I'll get your things before you go to the bathroom."

"Thanks" she said simply before then adding quickly "By the way John, it's good to see you again. She looked away as to hide her eyes. She didn't want him to read into about what she meant just yet.

Instead he just smiled and said, "It is also nice to see you too Detective."

There was a bit of tension due to what the real discussion had to be, but for now they would focus on the case. Personal matters would have to wait just a bit longer.

* * *

A/N: I hope that everyone was able to catch POI in it's new time slot. Be sure to tell your friends and have your friends tell their friends. Anyways I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter as I know a lot of my reviewers were quite curious about what Joss' reaction was going to be when she woke up. Thanks again to SWWoman for the beta. You are awesome.


	9. Discussions

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except the idea. Thanks SWWoman for helping with fixing my mistakes.

* * *

Chapter 9 - Discussions

Lionel stood on the other side of the two way mirror, watching Carl Matheson while he was messing around with his phone. After getting back to the station, he was booked and his fingerprints were run through the system. He had quite the colorful record with a pretty long rap sheet. Seeing that he was using his phone, Lionel saw a good opportunity to blue jack the phone for Finch. Hopefully it would help them out in the situation with Carter and her case.

To his right, he heard the door open. Turning his attention to it, he saw the chief walk in with an obvious question written on his face.

"Detective Fusco, what do you think you are doing bringing this guy into the interrogation room?"

"Well Captain, I obviously have to ask him a couple of questions."

"I'm not aware of any ongoing cases that you are working on."

He tried his best to keep his smart mouth shut. Lionel knew that the captain was inept because he was on the take. He saw the signs all the time. He should know since he used to be the same way. He would have to be careful with his words.

"Well there was an attack on a fellow officer and when we got there, he was knocked out. We figured that the victim managed to get away."

"Oh?" he said reluctantly. "Where is the officer?"

"Well we'll just have to wait for them to contact us. Now if you're finished, I'm going to head in to question him about a few things regarding the incident."

Lionel maneuvered past him out the door, only to enter the room on the other side of the glass. He knew that the captain would be watching his every move at this point.

"Good to see that you're awake after such a long nap sunshine. How's your face?"

Carl snorted, not at all amused. "I don't have anything to say to you cop."

"Well Carl…" he said as he took a seat. "I was just curious as to why a man with as colorful a criminal background as yours would be doing at the park so late at night at the same time as an officer who was going there to look into a tip. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

He just sat there defiantly, thinking that there wasn't any problem. Before Fusco's arrival, he told Cal through a text that the job was done. With how long she had been in the water, there was no way she would have survived even if that guy got her out. He left out his current predicament as he thought that he could resolve it quickly himself.

"So what about those nicks and cuts you got on your face Carl. You trip and fall or did someone beat you up?" The guy looked like he took his masculinity seriously so Fusco thought he would be antagonistic to get a reaction. It worked like a charm.

"Yeah right, no one could beat me in a fight, especially not you tubby."

He looked away in anger and that gave him the split second he needed to take his phone out. Looking at the screen, he saw the pairing process initiate. He would have to buy a bit more time.

"Well I know that you think no one can beat you man but I do know a few friends that might challenge that. There's this guy I know who is about six feet tall with graying brown hair that's pretty good himself."

Carl had to keep himself calm at the remarkably accurate description of the guy that managed to prevent his getaway. Then again it could have been a lucky guess to try to get a rise out of him. He instead continued to stay silent to try to not compromise himself.

Fusco glanced down to see that the pairing was a success.

"Well I guess I can only let you go. I must have made a mistake."

Carl was just confused at this cop's angle. He noticed that he wasn't moving and decided to just get the hell out of there. He stood up and just left the room. Fusco gave him a few minutes before leaving himself. He was confronted by the captain again.

"What was that all about?"

"I got what I needed Cap" he said simply before returning to his desk. He then began to send the information over to Finch to examine. Hopefully it would give them the answers they needed.

* * *

John was cleaning the dishes when he heard the front door open.

"Morning Finch" he greeted as the billionaire walked in with Bear. "You too Bear." He said as he scratched behind the enthusiastic dog's ear.

"Good morning to you as well Mr. Reese, I have managed to get some information from the blue jacking that Detective Fusco performed during the interrogation. I've come today to share the information with you and Detective Carter. Is she still around?"

"I'm right here Finch" she announced as she exited the bathroom in her work clothes that John cleaned up. She felt much better and was able to move normally again. She walked over to the table, being sure to greet Bear just as John did. "So what's the scoop on the guy?"

They got right down to business. "Well to be frank Detective, I've received a copy of everything on Carl Matheson's phone. Fusco mentioned to me that he had in fact been doing something before he entered the interrogation room." Finch pulled out the phone and placed it on the table for everyone to see.

"From everything that I have seen so far, our friend has made quite a bit of money by doing supposedly odd jobs around New York. I hacked into his bank account and have seen some big deposits over different periods of time."

"When we're talking about big, we're meaning how much?" she asked.

"Let's just say that it would be quite more than someone who would do things such as fixing pipes or doing delivery runs."

"So he's a hit man for sure then" Carter asked.

"It would seem so. He only ever received a payment of fifty thousand dollars which must have been his regular fee for each of his jobs. From the timeline of each deposit, he had received a payment of a hundred thousand dollars the day before you were attacked in the park."

"Why the increase?"

"Well maybe it's because of your job Carter" John chimed in. "I've met my share of these types of guys and they always take care to make you pay out more for getting rid of cops because of all the heat that could come from it."

"So in this case it was because I got too involved in trying to find out what happened with Bill and now someone wants me quiet. Story of my life" she uttered ironically.

"My condolences for Detective Szymanski by the way. My reliable source gave us his information but only after his death so there was nothing we could have done.

"It's alright Finch. John already told me everything. I just want to catch the bastard that is responsible for all this."

"Well I actually wanted to ask you something." He began searching his phone until he brought up the list of recent calls. Once he scrolled to the latest call, he showed it to her. "Do you recognize the number?"

Joss looked at the digits, knowing exactly who it was. "It's Cal's number" she responded. She looked over at John, whose face became dark. She recognized the look quickly, he tried to control himself as Finch continued on.

"This call was made yesterday a few hours before your 'accident'. The reason why I ask is because this message was sent by the man while he was in the interrogation room." He repeated the same actions and showed her a different screen.

The message was viewed as follow _Yo Cal, that girl you were worried about is taken care of. She is sitting at the bottom of the lake as we speak. Go ahead and enjoy things and get back to me if you need more clean-up or something else done._ She felt her heart drop and felt her stomach begin to bubble up. The reality of the situation hit her hard since she didn't really remember anything about what he did to her before she had black out. To find out that Cal was responsible for what had happened in a way sickened her to no end.

She trusted this man. She had allowed him to get close out of sheer loneliness; she admitted that to herself now. She couldn't believe that she almost introduced him to her own son.

"So we know that Cal called this guy to kill me because I was digging too deep into the case. Maybe I was making more progress than I thought" she stated. She worried because John hadn't said anything for quite a bit.

"We believed that the whole thing was a setup and Mr. Reese sent me some things to look into to confirm the theory. Once everything is looked at, I will let you know. Regardless, what about the situation with Detective Beecher? Both Mr. Beecher and Mr. Matheson believe that you are dead. What is your plan?"

She couldn't help the mischievous smile on her face and John immediately knew what she was thinking. "No way Carter" he intervened.

"Why not? If they think I'm dead then I just show up out of the blue, it'll throw them off their game and they'll make mistakes in the future. Besides, I have to go back and get some paperwork from the case anyway."

John clearly was not convinced. "Carter, I had to pull you out of freezing water and give you CPR. These guys are serious."

"Did you forget that I'm a cop?"

"If I may intervene?" Finch asked, grabbing both of their attention. "Detective Carter may have a plausible way of approaching the situation. It's true that her sudden appearance may fluster Detective Beecher, causing him to make a move he doesn't want. If you are worried for her, we can monitor the calls now that Detective Fusco has blue jacked his phone."

He didn't respond so Joss decided to ask Finch something. "So how about Taylor? How is he?"

"Well Mr. Carter seems to understand that you are in a predicament and went to your mother's with no resistance."

"That's how I raised him" she said proudly.

"Well I have to be getting back to the library. Please update me on what happens."

"Sure will" she said as Finch made his exit.

When the door shut, Joss continued. "You worry too much. They won't try anything like that again so soon."

"It's just…" he seemed to falter which threw her off. She had never seen him act like this before. It was out of character for him. "I don't know if I'll be in time if something happens again."

"It's not your fault for what happened you know. I'm just glad you got there when you did. How about this…" she decided to compromise. "If you are so worried, then how about I stay with you until this is all over and done with?"

"Do you want to? I don't want you to do something you don't want to do."

"Yeah sure, besides you have a huge, nice place here so I'm sure that I wouldn't get in the way. Actually, I was hoping we could talk a bit more about what happened between us."

John thought about it for a moment and finally accepted it. "Okay" he said simply.

Looking at the time, Carter got up and grabbed her coat, intent on making her way to the station. "Joss wait" he said. The use of her first name stopped her heart as well as her feet. He never really used it often and it was like music to her ears when he said it. Only he could make it sound so beautiful.

She watched and waited as he went over to a nearby drawer. After fussing around and searching through a few things, he closed it and walked back to her. "If you must insist on heading back out into trouble, at least wear this for me." He opened his hand to reveal a silver pendant on a matching colored chain.

"What's this? My birthday isn't for a few months."

"With this, I can know where you are because there's a tiny tracker inside." He came up to her and then proceeded to put it around her neck. With his proximity, she became engulfed in his woodsy scent. It seemed to cloud her mind and she closed her eyes to feel it more. Once the clasp was locked and he separated, the spell was broken. She offered him a grateful smile as he looked into her eyes.

"Thanks, I'll be back later after I get a couple of things from my apartment."

"Okay, just be careful alright?" He just studied her face.

She nodded and then made her way out the door after saying goodbye. Since there weren't really any leads on the case, he found that he couldn't do anything but wait for her to come back so they could go over her reports.

Now there was just a matter of how he would pass the time until then.

* * *

A/N: Well there's another one down for you. Thank you a ton SWWoman for the betaing and I hope everyone enjoyed it.


	10. Having Fun

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. All I can do is watch Reese from a distance otherwise I can't tell what I would do. Thanks SWWoman for the once over and fixing my mistakes once again.

* * *

Chapter 10 - Having Fun

Cal found himself walking in Joss' precinct a few hours after he had gotten the news from Carl. He couldn't help but be ecstatic. She was probably his biggest obstacle in helping his godfather become financially stable once again. He had not come empty handed of course; he bought a bouquet of white roses to express his condolences.

There were a few officers that had a good idea of the status of their relationship. He had to be sure to keep up appearances as to avoid suspicion.

He stepped through the doors to the once again busy building. He was a bit surprised that they were still working as if nothing happened and not planning some sort of memorial service. He had learned that Joss had been one of the top detectives here a while back. Maybe she didn't have as many friends as he first thought.

Then again he shouldn't have been surprised since she was such a shut in, hard nose, stubborn, single mother. Who would want to strike up a conversation with someone like that, let alone date her? He had only done it for Alonzo's sake but that didn't mean that he enjoyed it one bit.

As he searched around, he found her partner at his desk, reading something off of his computer. He would speak to him briefly before making a quick exit and making some plans.

"Hello Detective Fusco" he greeted. Lionel did his best to withhold the uncomfortable feeling that stirred up in him. He was always suspicious of Cal's intentions even before he had made an attempt on Carter's life. He always left a slimy feeling and he tried to watch Carter's back as much as he could.

"Hey Beecher, what can I do for you today?" It was then that he noticed the flowers. "You and Carter going on a date or something?"

Cal was baffled by the statement. How was he going to go anywhere with someone who had died? In fact, Fusco seemed to be acting like everything was normal and he was her partner. Surely he should have been affected by this tragic event more than he was letting on.

"Um no, I'm here to give you my condolences."

"Condolences? I don't know anybody that died recently?"

Before he spoke up, he heard a familiar voice come from behind him.

"Oh wow, are those for me?"

Cal turned around only to be face to face with what he thought for sure was a ghost. Carter was standing in front of him with a smile on her face. She tilted her head slightly in bewilderment as she waited for him to answer her question. Inside, she was trying her hardest to not burst out laughing at the look on his face.

_I never would have figured coming back from the dead could be quite entertaining._

Cal managed to pull his jaw off the ground and started speaking again. "Yea-yeah baby, here you go" he stuttered as he gave her the bouquet. While she made her way back to the desk, Fusco spoke up.

"So did you manage to talk to the Captain about that thing that you wanted?"

She nodded cheerfully, enjoying keeping Cal in the dark about her activities. He would definitely make a mistake from the shock later on.

"Sure enough, I'm quite glad that he was convinced by my proposal."

"What are you up to?"

She decided to do a bit more damage. "Well I've made a breakthrough in that case that I've been working on and I've gotten permission to send some samples that I found to a forensics lab" she lied. In truth, she asked for about a week off as she would be on the sidelines laying low in John's loft.

Her heart fluttered at the mere thought of being able to see him again. She practically cracked when she left this morning, trying to be nonchalant about coming back and staying with him.

"Oh that's good to hear" he said as he pressed his lips together. "Well I gotta go babe. I'll see you tonight okay" he leaned down to kiss her lips, but she turned at the last second for him to kiss her cheek. She wanted her lips to belong to another man only now that she knew Cal's true colors.

"Actually Cal, I'm going to be heading to my mother's house for a couple of days to check up on her. I won't be home for our date.

He tried to act disappointed. "Um, okay. That's fine. I guess I'll see you when you get back then."

"Bye Cal" she said sweetly as she watched him walk away in a huff. Once he was out of sight, she let herself enjoy a chuckle.

"I'm guessing that you were filled in on some things while you were gone?"

"Yup, I'm just here to get a couple of things then lay low with John."

She saw Fusco's eyebrow raised. "So I'm guessing that you two kissed and made up?"

"Not exactly" she admitted, remembering the promise from him to talk about the subject.

"Well get a move on it because, despite how much I love the action, I can't run errands for both of our guys. It's making me get a work out in a bad way."

"Alright Fusco, I'll try to get you a break. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to figure out what the hell I need to take with me" she commented as she looked at her disheveled desk.

* * *

John had been sitting at his desk, cleaning some of his arsenal when he heard the knock at his door. Looking at the clock, it had gotten to be a little past seven. He didn't have anything to do today since there was no concrete evidence on the case or any other numbers to work on so he did what he always did. He did some random chores around the loft before getting down to the task of cleaning his guns which would take up most of the time.

Before he had started, he got more comfortable by taking a nice hot shower before putting on some blue drawstring pants and a wife beater. Once he was cleaned up, he grabbed all that he needed and placed it on a workbench that he bought a few weeks ago.

Of course he grew a bit worried of Joss since she hadn't gotten back yet. Looking at his computer, he traced the tracker that he gave her. She had left the station and had gone a bit from her house. When he saw the address, he recognized it as her mother's house. He assumed that she was checking on Taylor and explaining the situation to him.

He wondered if she had told him the real reason for her being so secretive. Then again, he doubted that she would want to tell her son that she almost drowned thanks to a hit man. He thought that maybe it was the best for her safety to stay somewhere else until all of this blew over, but he was caught off guard when she asked to stay with him.

He would never have said no and it would be a good way to talk about why they had been avoiding each other. He wanted to wait until the right time because he didn't want to scare her away.

He was almost finished when he heard the knock. Putting his tools down, he walked barefoot over to the door. Opening it, he smiled as he saw Joss on the other side with a huge duffel bag draped over her right shoulder. He moved to allow her inside.

"Hey, sorry about taking so long. I'm sure that you already know, but I went to go see Taylor." She walked over to the kitchen counter and put the bag on it. "I told him what was going on and he's okay."

"Good to hear." He saw her open the bag and began to retrieve folders and placing them on the table. "So this is all the stuff you have?" he asked, looking at the six folders.

"Yeah, hopefully I might find something that I missed." She then closed the bag, looking around the apartment. "Where's your bathroom? I want to get cleaned up and change into something more comfortable before getting to work."

"Oh okay sure." John said before he pointed in the direction of the shower. She gave him an appreciative smile before heading towards the direction. When he heard the door shut, he opened some of the folders and looked over some of the things that she managed to find. He decided that he would go over it with her and chose to go back to his workbench.

He still wanted to finish with the pistol, shotgun, MP5, and grenade launcher that he still had left before getting some sleep.

In the middle of passing a wire brush through the barrel of the launcher, he heard the shower turn off. When the door opened, he turned his attention towards it. He saw her exit out in some tight green shorts and a peach colored sleeveless shirt. She sighed in content as she stretched her arms above her head, causing the material to rise slightly and allowed him to see her belly button.

He swallowed quickly before speaking. "Feeling better?"

She smiled at him. As she walked past the bed, she dropped the bag next to it. "Much." She noticed what he was doing. "Want some help?" she offered.

"Sure, I hope you remember how to do this."

"This was how I passed the time in the barracks." She commented as she sat in the chair across from him.

"Looks like we have another thing in common then since this is usually how I pass my time" he said. He noticed that there were still tiny beads of moisture on her exposed skin and her hair was damp while it lay over her right shoulder. Seeing her in this casual state, he couldn't help but notice how stunning she was. It began to tug at him that he really had missed her these last few weeks. It was nice that she was here in a way to keep him company.

"Well John, normal people tend to pass the time by watching TV or reading a book" she said as she grabbed the pistol and began to disassemble it.

"Well Joss, if you didn't notice, we aren't exactly normal" he joked as he double checked his work on the launcher.

"True" she said. Before long, the conversation came back around towards the case, especially one person. "So how did things go with Beecher?" The giggle that escaped her lips was like music to his ears. He always took joy in hearing her be happy, especially if he was the cause.

"You should have seen the look on his face. He was bringing in flowers as a way to say he was sorry because I died. I guess he really was involved" her face fell at this realization. She knew that the information said so, but seeing it firsthand had really hurt. She had felt so lonely without John being there to make her smile.

"Well we may be getting close to things once Finch is done with everything" he finished up and put the launcher to the side to put back later. He saw that she was finishing up with the pistol. He had to say that he was impressed with her speed.

"Maybe…" she said wistfully. He watched as she put the reassembled pistol on the table, but she kept her hands where they were. He looked to her face and he could see the look in her eyes. She was ready for the real conversation, the reason why she decided to stay with him.

"What happened to us John?"

* * *

A/N: I just can't get enough of these two. Can you? I'm hearing rumors on the boards that the writers might actually do something with them next season. I'm not holding my breath, but if it does happen I think my heart would just stop. Anyways I hope you enjoyed the current update and thank you again SWWoman.


	11. Talking About It

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me, but that doesn't stop me from loving this show. Thank you again SWWoman for the fixes. This chapter is going to be mature as a warning to anyone reading. If you have been reading up to this point and don't want to read that kind of stuff, just read the first part before stopping. Enjoy everyone^^

* * *

Chapter 11 - Talking About It

"What happened to us John?" She had to ask the question now. It was eating away at her and she wanted to finally know the truth.

"I don't know" he said. He felt terrible for not being able to give her an answer. Of course this did not satisfy her.

"Yes you do. I can't really read your mind except for what you were going to head to the roof to do…" her voice hitched slightly but he caught it. She just stood up and went over to the window. She wasn't really ready to look at him while talking about this. "You hadn't expected me to show up?"

He continued to watch her as he sat at the table. He had told himself that he wanted to talk to her about this but he was also reluctant to hear the reasons behind everything. "No, I gave Finch that code because I knew that he would ask you the meaning because of your military background" he explained.

"Why tell us for sure that you had a vest too? I and Fusco were trying to follow you from the message you sent when Finch found the address."

"My intention was to lead you to the area, but not to save me" he watched as she placed her left palm on the glass. He continued "I sent that message to keep you all away from me so you wouldn't get killed."

"Of course we didn't listen" she joked stiffly. Giving him a glance, he could see the glistening indication of tears. She was clearly trying to hold them back. "What about the hallway?"

"I didn't want you to get hurt Joss. You wouldn't have had enough time to disarm the bomb."

"You didn't even say goodbye. You just said thank you."

"Well you and Lionel have been a big part in shaping the man I am today. I had to let you both know that I really appreciated it and all of your help with the numbers."

"I didn't want you to go. That's why I grabbed you." He could see the tears begin their journey before she would wipe them away. He stood up and made his way over to her only to stand a few inches behind her. "I've lost a lot of people that I've cared about. I never got to say goodbye to any of them. When you were going to sacrifice yourself, I was scared." She placed her other hand on the window, watching as the drizzle got heavier. "I've lost my comrades, friends, my husband, and I was going to lose you too."

"Aren't we only just friends though? What category do I fit in?" He watched as she shook her head.

"It's different with you. Knowing you is something that no one else could ever comprehend because of what you are and what you do. John…" she turned around and pressed her back against the window, feeling the glass against her shoulders. "It really hurt when you just stopped talking to me. For a while, I thought that you hated me for what I did by ignoring your warning."

He took a step forward. "I did because I just didn't want to see you and know that it was going to be it. I would rather have you not remember me for doing something like that, just turning my back on you and walking away."

"Do you know how hard it was to watch you turn around and just leave?"

He took another step. "I didn't want you to get hurt. Like I told you, you had too much to lose. I didn't have anyone to cry for me anyway."

"I missed you ya know." She saw the look of surprise on his face and watched him take another step, bringing him at arms length. "Damn it, look what you're doing to me" she chuckled as she wiped some more tears.

"It's because you care. Joss I wanted the last moments of my life to mean something at least. I wanted to do some good for all the bad I've done."

"You still don't think that you've done enough John. You help all of those strangers. I don't think anyone would think any less of you because of your past life."

"It was that past that almost killed me. I just didn't want the people that I've grown to care about get caught up in something that I needed to deal with on my own."

"Nothing is normal when it comes to any of us, besides it was my fault that this almost happened to you. If I hadn't sold you out before…" she was silence when he step closer again, becoming enveloped in his masculine scent as he drew her into a hug. Her eyes widened, not used to this level of affection from the vigilante, but she returned it.

She sighed in content, happy to be with him now after so long. "You know that this isn't going to make me feel better about what I did, but I appreciate the effort" she remarked. Pulling back, she saw a real smile on his face. "Thanks for telling me the truth. Even if you don't think so, I still believe you to be a good man."

He took a hand and brushed away a few strands to get a better look at her face, especially her eyes. "You really are the one that knows me best Joss" he said softly. He looked at her lips which she proceeded to lick in anticipation. He wanted to do the deed, but there was one thing that he had to be sure of.

Joss was waiting eagerly. She had wanted the same thing to happen as he did but she noticed the look he gave her. It was that look he gave her when he wanted to ask her something personal. She asked "What's the question John? I can see that damn look on your face when you are curious about something." She always found his mischievous looks quite sexy, knowing that he was up to no good but not wanting to stop him either.

"Oh, why Detective, I was only curious if you were going to continue seeing Cal after the recent developments."

The gaze in her eyes softened at this question. She hoped that her answer would result in what she really wanted from him. "I'm finished with him as of today. Besides, I couldn't really focus on him since I've had my mind set on another guy" she said innocently.

"Well I'm really sure that this other guy wouldn't really want to be just a rebound when it comes to you."

"You wouldn't" she replied honestly. "John after what had happened that night, I couldn't stop thinking about you. When Cal would fall asleep while we were watching TV, I would wonder if you were really okay or what you were doing at that moment.

"Did he ever notice?"

"No, the only thing was that I could never get physical with him. He would try and push me, but I would always stop him, threatening him."

"What about now?"

"It's different because it's you. I want you…I need you John."

He pressed her against the glass, but she welcomed the warmth of his body. He took her chin and eased it up before leaning down to touch his lips with hers. It was a simple kiss, meant to test the waters and allowing either of them to change their mind and pretend this never happened.

John put both his fingertips on the glass behind her, essentially trapping her. Due to their closeness, he could feel her heart pounding in her chest, mimicking what his was doing as well. He then took her body in his arms before moving a hand down her back. Once he reached her ass, he gripped it roughly, loving the firm feeling along with the fabric of her shorts.

This action had her gasp involuntarily for which he took advantage by slipping his tongue through. He took solace as he intertwined his tongue with hers while also exploring the velvety smoothness inside.

While giving herself into him, Joss realized something about their current position. The hands on his chest applied pressure to push him away. She saw him looked down at her in confusion. "It's just that I'm not too keen on some curious people outside seeing what we're up too."

He gave her that smile again. "There's no need to worry. Finch had these windows made with bulletproof two way glass." He leaned in closer. "So we have all the privacy in the world."

"Oh goodie" she remarked while snaking her hands under his shirt. She tried her best to memorize every bump, ridge, and cut on his body and she slowly passed her fingertips over him. Before long, John decided to just divest himself of the material, giving her a better view. She couldn't help but be fascinated with the beautiful mixture of him and his scars. She had accepted long ago that this was a part of his life as much as he hated it and as much as she hated how much it hurt him, it was an imperfection that made her need for him stronger.

John fisted his left hand into the dark cascade of still moist hair and began to assault her neck with his lips. His warm breath was spreading through her body just like when she had hovered on the abyss of death. This was the feeling that she remembered when he brought her back and she welcomed it.

His lips pressed lightly against her skin, being sure to tease her with the tip of his tongue each time he made contact. The jolts and gasping noises she made satisfied him to no end. His free hand floated up past her hips. Before long, he had ghosted his palm over her covered breast.

"John, please…" she whispered. Joss yearned for those same hands that have caused criminals so much pain and suffering to touch her and bring pleasure.

"Only because you said please" he replied against her neck before pushing his hand against her. He could hear the hitching in her breath as he began to mold the breast in his hands. He played with her body and if she hadn't been against the window, she may have collapsed to the floor from the euphoric feelings.

His lips made a path down as he continued his ministration. Finding the vein under her chin, he flashed back to the night he plucked her from the water and he desperately checked for a pulse. Seeing the strong coursing of life under her skin, he dedicated quite a bit of attention to that one spot, eliciting small moans from her.

His hand played with her more, teasing the covered nipple between his thumb and index finger. Meanwhile her hands made their way to his hair, passing her fingers through the graying brown hair that he alone could make look so sexy.

John soon decided to stop playing with her neck and instead opt to remove the shirt. Pulling at the hem upwards, she raised her hands to help. Once he had divested her of intruding material, he threw it in the direction of the kitchen. He grew more excited as he saw Joss in nothing but the shorts.

He became a bit more aggressive as he grabbed both breasts, forcing her to the window again. Her body jerked slightly as more of her body was exposed to the cold glass. John just mimicked the actions he had done before, except now he played with both mounds with nothing in the way.

He leaned forward, taking one of her sensitive peaks into his mouth. His tongue began to tease her, each second felt like torture to her as she felt more of the liquid fire travel through her body. The enormous heat that she was feeling began to fog up the glass behind her as he continued.

"John…" she murmured, his name on her lips was like music to his ears. He implemented his teeth to apply a bit of pressure to the small bundle of nerves. Hearing the hiss of pain and moans from her, he would release her before licking the pain away.

He felt himself being forcefully pulled away by her and before he could say anything, she planted another kiss on him. He wrapped her up in his arms, bringing their naked torsos in contact with each other.

"Joss…you feel so good" he whispered when they finally pulled away due to the lack of air between them.

"John please…" she begged. He knew what she wanted and he wanted nothing more than to be buried within her folds.

Lowering his gaze, he hooked the waistband of her shorts and underwear with his fingers before slowly dragging them down her long, slim legs. Tossing them away, he planted kisses on her exposed skin as he traveled back up. As he met her eyes, he saw the cloud of desire storming in them.

"My turn" she said before she grabbed at his pants and boxers. She decided to have a bit of fun and take her sweet time as she lowered them to the floor. When she finally exposed him, her eyes widen at the size of his erection. She was quite impressed with what he had been hiding in the suit for all those months that he had know her.

She finished removing his clothes and tossed them to the side. She was tempted to touch him but he stopped her before she could go through with it. Placing her back against the window, he shook his head.

"I can't wait any longer Joss." He took her right leg and wrapped it around his waist as she enveloped her arms around his neck. She could feel him so close to her and she let out a shaky sigh. He noticed this and grew concerned. "You okay?"

She framed his face and looked deep into his eyes. "It's just that it's been so long." She watched him nod his head in understanding.

"Yeah, it's the same for me. Joss, I haven't yearned for a woman as much as I have for you in years."

"John…" her voice disappeared as she felt him brush her core with the tip of his erection.

He wanted to test the waters, wanting to make sure she was ready. His brief contact caused a shiver to run down his spine. He positioned his hands on either side of her, wrapping one arm completely around her while the other pressed against the fogging glass.

She could feel him pass her entrance again, causing a whimper of protest to escape her lips. Not wanting to deny either of them anymore, he began to push. He applied pressure and began to plunge deeper into her hot, moist folds as he pulled out more moans from her lips. As he continued, the lovers grabbed each other, trying to keep each other sane from the flooding feelings of ecstasy.

Joss felt every inch of his cock as it entered her body. She could feel every inch of him stretching her so that she could accept him. Once he was fully inside, they each took a moment to enjoy the feelings. John then began to move slowly, pulling out slightly more each time before thrusting back in.

As his thrusts became more forceful, their moans and the banging of the glass continued to increase. Joss squeezed her hands as to try to keep her sanity as he continued to take her. Her legs were beginning to lose feeling from the fiery build up that was starting inside her.

She tried to keep herself in control as the friction grew in intensity. She wanted the feelings to last forever. She didn't want it to end.

After what seemed like an eternity, that long forgotten feeling of a large pool of fire began forming in her stomach. She clutched at him for dear life as her orgasm ripped through her body. She breathed his name into his ear as her body jolted and convulsed from the force.

As her body tightened around him, John felt his own release beckon. He had also tried to keep his control to get this to last as long as possible. Unfortunately Joss' reaction to her release caused him to follow soon after. Hearing his name from her lips, he thrust a few more times before he too let go into her.

The force of everything left them both breathing hard, pressed up against the window to keep from collapsing.

When they finally made eye contact with each other, they just smiled. After swallowing hard, Joss found her voice again. "John…how's your stamina?"

He looked at her with raised eyebrows before lifting her in his arms with incredible vigor. He then carried her in the direction of his bed. Laying her against the sheets, he crawled on top of her with a smirk on his lips. "I still have more than enough for a round two" he said before kissing her again.

* * *

A/N: I want to thank everyone that has given this story a chance so far. That goes to the registered users and the guests too. I want to give you all a gigantic bear hug and never let go to the guest since I can't express my gratitude in a message. To everyone else, I hope that I managed to message all of you. I greatly appreciate all of your reviews from the bottom of my heart. SWWoman, you are especially awesome for continuing to look at my stuff while also working on yours. Thanks a million.


	12. Arrangements

Disclaimer: This hiatus is killer on everyone. Move it S3. Anyways. Not my property. I'm using it for mines and other people's entertainment. Big hugs to SWWoman.

* * *

Chapter 12 - Arrangements

Cal got back to his home after his shift at the precinct. He was extremely unhappy at the current state of affairs and he honestly didn't know what to do. The plan was to arrange for the brothers to get released which happened earlier today. The case was not going to go anywhere and the trial only lasted fifteen minutes before it was thrown out.

It made his day that at least on that spectrum, things were going according to plan. He just needed to wait for the call from Terney on when the meeting was to confirm the details of the deal.

His unpleasant attitude came from the unexpected turn of events that came with his 'girlfriend' Detective Carter. He couldn't explain his emotional state at the moment when it came to her. He took a seat in his leather chair while he continued to think things out.

When she had shown up today, he did his best not to allow the curse that left his lips to be audible to her or Fusco. He played it off like normal as he handed her the flowers. At this point, he didn't think that she had linked him to her attack. He was disappointed in Carl though.

He had been told by the professional that the job had been completed and he already sent him the entirety of the payment. With this loose end, he was quite unhappy to say the least.

While he tried to think over the situation, his cell phone rang. As he checked the caller ID, he saw that it was Terney. He answered of course.

"Hey man, how's it going?"

"Cal, everything's all set. The brothers want to meet us in two hours at the docks."

Cal began to rub his temple to fend off the incoming headache. "Really man, it's raining outside and I'm just not in the mood to go anywhere tonight."

"Well it's either that or there's going to be no deal. You going to bring anyone else with you?"

He thought about it for a moment. "Yeah I'll bring Carl, he and I have to have a talk anyway."

"Alright man, I'll see you in a few" then the phone went dead. Cal tried his damnedest not to throw the phone across the room. He knew that this deal was important to his godfather and he knew that he was going to get this done for him at least. One advantage is that since Carter was stuck at square one, there would be no unexpected guest.

Cal scrolled through his contact list before he found the number he was looking for. He hit the green button to patch the call through and waited from the recipient to answer. After four rings, he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey Cal, what will it be today?"

"Actually Carl, I need to talk to you about two things."

"Okay, shoot."

"First things first, the deal with those Russians is in two hours and I wanted you to come along as backup."

"No problem. You wouldn't want those guys to try and pull a fast one on you. What's the second thing?"

"It's about that job I asked you to do."

"The one where you wanted me to take care of the cop, what about it?"

"I want a damn refund, Carter's still ALIVE!" he yelled, nearly blowing out the other guys eardrums."

"What are you talking about?"

"She was at the station when I went there earlier today. Apparently, she's really close to figuring out a case she is working on and I'm not sure if she is talking about the Szymanski one. What the hell happened?"

"I don't know. I had dumped her in a body of water. Maybe that guy helped her?

"What guy?"

"Some guy in a suit showed up after I discarded her. Maybe he managed to get her out. I didn't see anything though because he knocked me out."

"And you just happened to leave this little detail out of our conversation?"

"Well I also didn't feel too keen on letting you know that I had been arrested thanks to that guy. He was probably just some backup of hers."

"What happened?"

"Nothing, it seemed like the cops didn't have squat on me. The one pudgy guy just let me go after only asking me a few questions."

"Were you being followed after you left?"

"Nope, not at all."

"Good, then let's just concentrate on this meeting and get it done already. I'm not too keen on going out in this weather" he said as he looked out of his window at the pouring rain.

"Alright, just give me the address and I'll be there."

After giving him the information he needed, Cal ended the call. He was not too happy with the circumstances involving Carter, but if no one knew anything, he guessed he was alright with it. He decided to grab a bite to eat before he would head back out.

* * *

John snaked his tongue down the valley between her breasts, going lower until he hit her belly button. She grasped at the bed sheets as he drew wet circles around it. Joss giggled a bit as she was ticklish around that area.

She then sighed in content as John played with her again. They had both recovered quickly after taking a small break and were right back at it.

Before round two could begin however, John's cell phone began to ring on the nearby table. They both groaned in protest before John scooted back up then pulled Joss to him. He reached over and saw that it was Finch on the caller ID. He then connected the call through speakerphone.

"Hello Finch" he answered as he began to pass his fingers over her bare back.

"Hello Mr. Reese, I have something of the utmost importance to report. Is Detective Carter there with you?"

"Yup, right here Finch" she replied.

"Well I have been monitoring Mr. Matheson's calls and picked up some new info. Cal had called him earlier and asked to accompany him to a meeting they were having."

"Did he say what it was for?" John asked.

"It appears that they are planning to solidify the deal that was made with the Russians after the brothers were released from custody earlier today."

"Did they say when it was going to happen?"

"Apparently the meeting is supposed to take place at midnight tonight at a warehouse near the outskirts of the city." Both of them groaned once again as that only left them a hour and a half to get ready.

"Why can't criminals be more considerate of others?" Joss mused. "Hey Finch anything else we should know about before we head on out."

"Besides Detective Beecher and Mr. Matheson, there will also be a Detective Terney there as well."

John noticed his lover's eyes widen ever so slightly. "Are you sure Finch?"

"Yes Detective, it will be just the three of them so I would hope that you will not have too much trouble."

"Alright Finch, we'll let you know the details when we get back" he then ended the call before directing his attention to her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just that Terney was hanging around me a lot in the last couple of days and I had been brushing him off to work on this case. Why is it that I can't be associated with good guys for a change?"

"You still have me" he remarked.

"You're more then an associate, smartass, and you are not that innocent" she joked before sliding away from him and making her way to the edge of the bed. "C'mon lover boy, we gotta get ready before we miss out on the fun."

"Yes ma'am," he said as they both got ready to crash this party.

* * *

A/N: It looks like crime never will sleep in NYC. Too bad for our favorite couple. Thanks SWWoman for the betaing. Enjoy everyone.


	13. Dirty Dealings

Disclaimer: Property of CBS. I am only using it for mine's and other people's entertainment. Thank you SWWoman as always.

* * *

Chapter 13 - Dirty Dealings

The pitter patter of rain changed to become a bit denser. The three men of the HR association were on their way to the meeting that would hopefully change the future.

Terney had arrived to pick up Cal first before going over to pick up their back up. They weren't sure how this meeting was going to go and they weren't going to take any chances.

Along the way, Cal had a few choice words for Carl as he entered the back seat. He was still quite displeased at the fact that the job had not been completed and Carl continued to make quite a bit of excuses to not refund him the large sum of money that they agreed to. Cal once again asked about the man in the suit, whose identity he was still quite suspicious of. He still didn't believe in the story of the mystery guardian angel that had Carter's back, but she was still alive, so that may not have been as farfetched as he first thought.

After getting through that line of questioning, he then moved on to ask about the interrogation at the precinct, to which Carl just shrugged his shoulders as he was unsure what had happened himself. Cal was becoming a bit more frustrated at the situation. He made plans to deal with it tomorrow instead.

* * *

It was close to the meeting time when the men from HR arrived at the designated meeting place. They exited the car, being sure to pull out their umbrellas before doing so, and began to walk towards a spot where the light was shining. They then began looking at the area around them, looking for the men.

What they weren't aware of were two other people that managed to arrive at the nick of time.

After getting cleaned up, John and Joss left his loft and made their way to the address that Finch supplied them in his car. They arrived at short time later at a different part of the warehouse. Both of them knew that making their way through in the rain would provide good enough cover. They then moved through the shadows of the building, each with their preferred 9mm pistol at the ready.

They stayed close together, with Joss taking the lead while John watched her back in more ways than one. Despite the fact that this was supposed to be on an important and serious mission, both of them were just eager to get this done with and back into a nice warm bed, preferably with each other.

They checked each doorway and corner, being thorough as to avoid any sort of ambush. They both understood the importance knowing your surroundings from their time in the military. It would help in a fight to know where the safe spots were.

They continued to transverse the area at a lightning pace. Before long, they found a clearing that looked to be the entrance ahead of them with a bright light illuminating it. They saw some cover behind a stack of boxes and took position there.

As they watched the area, they waited as the rain continued to douse them. Joss was beginning to shiver from the cold, in a bit of a bad mood after being pulled away from bed. Taking her attention away from the area, she looked over at John, who continued to peek around his corner.

She wondered silently if he was as anxious as her. The fact that they had gotten this far in the investigation made her happy. She couldn't help but blame the anxiety on the fact that these were all men associated with HR. These guys quite possibly had run ins with the law in the past and managed to smooth talk their way out of jail time. She didn't want to screw this up, not with these guys. She tried to focus on the task at hand. If she panicked and made a mistake, her worse fears would come to light.

"Do you always get this nervous during stakeouts?" he asked, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. She had been in a world of her own for that brief moment.

Once she calmed down, she acknowledged his question. "I just don't want to screw things up, you know" she admitted. She knew that he understood as much as anyone how important this was, especially to her.

He maneuvered closer to her and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Now that's not the homicide detective I know. What happened to the confident hardass?"

"She might still be a little shaken up over what's been going on the last couple of days."

"Hey" he raised her chin up so that she could look at him. "I'm here for you Joss. If you need anything, just talk to me." He gave her a small peck on the lips, hoping to make her feel better. When he pulled away and looked down at her, it seemed to do the job.

"I can't wait to put these guys behind bars" she said, her confidence growing again.

"Now that's what I like to hear" he said, glad that she stopped thinking about that night.

Once they got their bearings and reestablished their positions, they watched as a black Mercedes stopped just short of the light source. They heard the engine die then a short time later, they watched as three men exited the vehicle.

They approached the light and the duo could confirm that it was indeed Beecher, Carl, and Terney. It appears that they were the first to arrive which gave John an idea. He pushed his earpiece to place the call through to Finch. Joss watched the scene while listening to his conversation.

After only two rings, he answered. "Hello Mr. Reese, I see that you and the good detective have arrived at the meeting location.

"Yeah, HR is here first. Finch I was wondering if you could do something."

"What would you like?"

"Remember how you managed to bluejack multiple phones as long as they were turned on and close to each other? Well I want you to use Carl's phone to do just that so that we can listen in on the conversations that all these men have in the future."

"Also if you don't mind, could you keep audio recordings on their conversations from here on out? I don't doubt that I could get some good evidence" Joss requested.

"That will be quite easy to do and I will be sure to keep an archive for you to use as you will Detective."

"Thanks Finch" he said before hanging up the phone. As the couple looked on, they saw the phone perform its magic before John received confirmation of the multi jack. He then adjusted the settings so that they could listen in on whatever was going on through the microphone. They just sat back and waited for now while eavesdropping.

_So when the hell are these guys going to show up? I only came because you told me that this would be quick Terney._

_Calm down Cal, they'll be around soon enough. I would just do my best not to piss these guys off again. It took a lot of work just to get them to agree to meet._

_It wouldn't be such a problem if Carl had gotten rid of the bitch like I paid him to do. She has to go because there is no doubt that she's going to try to get these guys back behind bars._

_With what evidence?_

_That's the thing Terney, she doesn't have shit but she walks around all cocky like she knows something she shouldn't. It seems like she's got this chip on her shoulder._

_Probably because of that guy that ambushed me._

_Carl don't even worry about it. It's just that I would like to not have to deal with her anymore and just get HR back up and running._

_Same here, wait here they come._

John and Joss heard the roar of another engine and turned their attention to the car that approached. Its make and model was obscured by the rain. They watched as the engine was cut before two men left. As they approached the light, the couple recognized them as the brothers. They continued to listen in through the microphone as they stepped into the light.

_Well well, good to know that at least you keep your end of the bargain after all._

_My godfather is very insistent on doing business with you and your group. We are sorry for the inconvenience of Detective Szymanski's interference._

_Well it is clear that he is taken care of as our case was thrown out. I do believe that we can do business together Detective Beecher._

_That's good to hear._

As they watched Cal step up and shook the older brother's hand, they decided that now was to take action. John was the first to strike, shooting out the light to give them the element of surprise before Joss yelled.

"NYPD Drop your weapons!"

Each side reacted swiftly, with Cal and the other men immediately hopped back into their car and took off while the brothers stayed and fought. A gunfight ensued as Joss and John took cover from the Uzi fire that developed, each popping out to take pot shots when the other side died down temporarily.

Just as Joss poked out to take more shots, she felt a burning sensation on her face that caused her to take cover again. As she reached up, she felt for the wound, pulling back and seeing a trickle of blood. John continued cover fire as she collected her bearings. When the time was right, they began to move into together. As the brothers tried to reload their weapons, the team each fired a single round from their pistols and knocked the weapons from both of their hands.

The brothers screeched and fell back in pain as John and Joss inched closer. Before they could make another attempt, Joss stepped on the weapon.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you. Put your hands behind your head" she said menacingly before doing her job. As she reached over to put the cuffs on the guy, John noticed the wound. He grew upset that one of these guys managed to hurt her, but he would wait until they got back to the safety of his loft.

While she went to arrest the other man, John put another call through.

"Finch, it looks like with done here but HR managed to get away."

"What about the other party?"

"Detective Carter is putting them in cuffs as we speak. Can you tell Fusco that I left him a present here?"

"John, you're going to make Fusco get a swell head" Joss commented as she slapped the cuffs and left the men face down.

"I will attend to that right away. What will you be doing in the meantime?"

"We'll be heading back to the apartment for now and think of our next move" he said before hanging up. "I will also clean up that cut that you have" he added.

She couldn't help but notice the tender look in his eyes, quite different from that of the trained soldier that just managed all of this. She found it quite endearing and was quite anxious to get back as well.

"Well later boys, enjoy your stay in jail again" she said while waving goodbye and heading back with John to the car.

* * *

A/N: Only a few more chapters to go everyone. I hope that you are all still enjoying everything and thanks for the like the billionth time SWWoman with the constructive edits. I hope that the change in that one park works better.


	14. Cleaning Up

Disclaimer: I do not own the property even though I wish I could borrow Reese for a day. Thanks SWWoman for the look over.

* * *

Chapter 14 - Cleaning Up

John and Joss got back to the loft in record time. As they were getting back into the city, they passed by a few cruisers that looked to be heading into the direction of the warehouse. Stepping over the threshold, both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Neither of them had intended for a gunfight to ensue, but at least they managed to capture the brothers.

They walked over to the kitchen and Joss grabbed a seat while John went over to the fridge to grab them each a beer. Handing one to her and grabbing a seat himself, they each took a sip before John took out his phone and put it in between them.

They waited until he picked up. "What's going on Finch?"

"Well it appears that you and the Detective have caused quite a bit of trouble. Detective Fusco informed me of the state of the scene and it was quite chaotic."

"Hey, don't blame us just because they didn't like party crashers" John teased.

"Regardless, I take it that you two sustained no injuries?"

"Well they managed to graze me a bit, but it'll heal up" Joss admitted.

"Are you sure Detective because I am more then capable of getting care for you if it is quite serious?"

"It's just a small scratch that I just need to put some alcohol on but thanks for the offer."

"You are welcome. Also there is one other thing that I need to tell you that may help essentially in your case Detective."

Her ears couldn't help but perk up. "Oh really, you got maybe some evidence that could help me put them away for longer than a while?"

"I have just that. While searching the scene, Detective Fusco reported to me that he discovered a footprint near the entrance where the men from HR were standing. I asked him to send a photo so that I may analyze it. After performing a comparison, it appears that the prints from the warehouse and the prints that Mr. Reese found at the scene of the murder of Detective Szymanski are a match."

"Really? Is there any chance that you could be wrong?" She said apprehensively. She didn't want to get too excited and then be disappointed.

"From the photo in both scenes, I can see the distinct impression of a serial number and they also match. This will aid you quite a bit in your case against one of the men."

"You also have the recording as well for me to bring along as evidence?"

"Yes, the conversations have been archived on a hard drive and ready for you when you need them."

"Thanks Finch. If it hadn't been for you and John, I would still be stuck or maybe even dead."

"It's what we do. Now I will leave you be to recuperate until you're ready."

"Okay Finch, talk to you tomorrow" John said before hanging up. He looked over and saw Joss visibly relax. He was happy for her that she was finally going to get her wish on the knowing the truth. His next job for now was cleaning the wound for her.

Placing his drink down, he stepped up to her seat. He resisted the urge to laugh at the quizzical look she gave him before holding out his hand.

"Let's go to the bathroom and I can clean that scratch up for you."

She waved him off. "It's fine, I'll just take care of it later. I'm still going to be here for another day at least."

"Actually I also wanted to finish our more discreet activities."

"Well if that's the case, then lead the way" she said as she stood up and followed him to the bathroom.

Inside, she took a seat on the toilet while removing her jacket and placing it off to the side. She watched as John recovered some cotton balls and alcohol. She ended up making conversation while she waited.

"So do you think this will all work out John?"

As he approached her, she could see the surprised look on his face. "Are you actually having doubts about your case?" He then soaked the cotton ball lightly before passing it over the scratch, eliciting a small hiss from her.

"It's just that I don't believe how close we are to taking this whole organization down for good. I'll just be glad when it's all over."

"I hope nothing goes wrong because I wouldn't want to see you moping around here." She shot him a dirty look. "Just kidding" he defended, causing them both to laugh. He passed the swab only a few times before he deemed the wound clean. He threw it out and put the bottle back in the cupboard. He noticed something fairly familiar as she looked at him while sitting there.

She waited a bit before asking "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just that I'm having a sense of déjà vu."

"Oh, from when?"

"It was from the night when you that hit man tried to drown you." He pulled her up and held her in his arms. He didn't do anything but look at her, trying to burn a different image of her in this scenario other than that night.

"I don't remember anything. All I know was that you decided to strip me down to nothing but my underwear."

"As I stated before, I promised I was a gentleman. I just wanted to get you warmed up because the water you were in was freezing."

"Well I'm starting to feel cold from the rain tonight. Maybe we can try to warm each other a different way" she suggested.

He began to unbutton the front of her shirt. "I'm glad that you agree. I wouldn't want you to get sick before you make your big arrest tomorrow." He pressed his lips to hers again while he continued with the task of divesting her of her shirt.

Her shirt was then placed aside to be dried later as he then began working on her pants. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his eagerness to get things going. She was quite the opposite and wanted to enjoy things in a much slower manner.

Her pants became the next victim and she was left in her black underwear. She then chose to oblige and began work on his clean pressed dress shirt. She took her time with the buttons, hearing the breaths of frustrations escaping his lips. She tried to hide her laughter as she plucked every little button through the holes until they were all free.

She pushed the shirt off his shoulders but caught it before it hit the floor. She took the time to fold it up before having it join her things. She then crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at him in that damn undershirt again.

"You know, the next time we're going to have sex, I should give you a warning. You are just wearing that thing to piss me off."

He pointed at the padding near the top. "It's not like I have a choice. I would rather have this so that guys don't know I'm protected until it's too late."

She accepted his excuse and reached for the hem. "Even if it is for your safety, that doesn't mean that I have to like it." She pulled it up and over with a fluid motion and threw it to the neat pile. She began to run her hands over his body. No matter how many times she saw him, she was always fascinated by how beautiful he was.

Her fingers traveled up, intent on remembering every single ridge of his abs and every sprinkle of permanent injuries that he had sustained. She couldn't resist leaning forward and tasting his body for herself. She heard a grunt barely escape his lips as he began to pass his large hands through her hair. She felt him lifting her away from him just to attach his lips to hers once again. She wrapped her hands around his neck as she pressed her scantily clad body against him and dueled with him.

Busy with her lips, he reached around her to unclasp her bra. Bringing her hands down long enough to remove it from her body, he tossed it aside. His hands traveled across the expansion of her sun kissed back as he felt every bit of her under his fingertips.

Because of a lack of oxygen, they separated and he smiled at her flushed face. He gave her another quick peck before beginning to strip himself of his pants.

Once he was in nothing but his boxers, he reached in the shower and had it begin spraying hot water into the large tub. They then took the time to strip themselves of their last bit of underwear. John took a moment to admire Joss in all her naked glory. Before he would abandon his plans, he pulled his eyes away and made his way inside.

Joss waited as he pulled back the curtain and entered the shower. She then saw him hold a hand out for her, which she took gladly. Bringing her inside, her back was against the spray of the water, which had already soaked down her hair and had it begin to stick to her skin.

John was fascinated with how beautiful she looked with her hair framing her face. It looked unnatural, the beauty something that no normal human would possess. Reaching for her, he directed her to face the shower head and she felt the water hit her. Before long, she felt his long fingers travel past her hips until they reached her burning breasts and began to play with them.

He began to squeeze and mold them, eliciting wonderful moans from her lips. His fingers moving forward, he then began to squeeze and tease her nipples, feeling them harden under his ministrations. Joss leaned forward, pressing her hands against the tile wall to keep herself standing as she continue to suffer from the sheer amount of pleasure he was bestowing upon her.

"Who..who would ha..ve know that showers cou…ld feel this good" she uttered with a shaky voice. He would twist and pinch the sensitive peaks, not intent on letting go just yet. Instead he leaned forward to reach her ear, being sure to brush himself against her slightly. He smiled when he heard the intake of air and whispered in her ear. "Do you know how beautiful you are when you are in ecstasy Joss?" He felt her shake her head, unable to give him a real answer.

"Please…" was all she could utter, wanting him so much.

"Let me just get a taste" he said before relinquishing his hold her breasts. The soft whimper of protest didn't escape his ears as he repositioned himself. He leaned down until he was looking into her core. He took a finger and passed it through her outer lips, causing her to jump slightly. He then gripped her ass roughly before begin to thrust his tongue into her, hearing her shout out in response.

He could taste all of her sweet nectar as he began to press deeper. He watched her struggle to keep herself up, her hands beginning to ball up into fist. He dug his fingers into her flesh as he continued to feast on her.

He used two of his fingers to stretch her out so that he could explore her further. His tongue then took it's time to travel up the edges, collecting her juices on his tongue. The yelping and moaning was not lost to him as he continued to torture her. The water began to get lukewarm as it washed away the dirt from earlier.

Her body felt like it couldn't last much longer. She had to tell him to stop or she wouldn't be able to prevent herself from letting go without him. "John" she said with a raspy voice. "John…"she uttered louder, getting his attention.

"Yes?" he asked as he finally pulled himself away from her twitching body.

She looked back, holding his lust filled eyes with hers. "Not like this" she said simply. He understood quickly and reluctantly eased away from her. He rose up to full height and firmly gripped her ass again. He then began to barely pass his erection through her entrance, seeing her fingernails scratch against the tile.

He couldn't help himself in playing with her. To be able to have control over her was something that he would take the time to enjoy. He then leaned forward, using his left hand to turn her head to him. Seeing her absorbed in bliss, he waited until she opened her eyes before he kissed her.

He inched himself through her core as the sound of her fingernails dragging could be heard loudly. Because of his attention to her, he easily maneuvered through her walls until he couldn't go any further. Breaking the kiss, he assumed the position and began to pull out of her. As he pushed back in with power, he could hear the yelp again and smile. It continued on like this, each time John changing the angle of the thrust to touch every inch of her core.

The sounds continued to get louder as they continued he continued to fill her, both of them trying to fight off the quickly approaching release. Joss's face was pressed against the wall, her breasts being crushed each time he pushed back into her.

Freeing one of his hands, he reached under her left knee and lifted her leg in the air, allowing him to reach deeper into her. Joss outright yelled at this new position, feeling him reach all the way to the womb.

"God Joss, you are squeezing me so much" he said through gritted teeth as he struggled to keep upright.

"It's your fault" she yelled as she continued to meet his thrust. The friction soon became too much for either of them as that familiar feeling began to eat away at them.

John lifted her a bit higher, now hitting her clit with each stroke. This was her end as he heard her scream her release soon after and began to fall to the floor. Her insides felt like they were on fire as she began to black out from the euphoria. He followed soon after with a few more thrusts into her now tight, blazing hot core as he exploded inside of her, letting the water from the shower wash away the sweat from them.

They took their time to collect themselves. Joss was the first to recover and sat up on her knees, looking at John in front of her. She crawled her way to him, giving him a soft kiss while he wrapped his hands around her. When she pulled away, she saw that he was looking for something. Following his hand, she saw him grab some soap and a sponge.

"How about we get cleaned up" he offered with a smile as he started on her back.

* * *

A/N: I hope that you all enjoyed another hot moment with these two. I just adore the chemistry of these two on screen and they just make me squeal in joy when I see them together. Big hugs to you SWWoman for constantly helping me. I appreciate it a bunch. I also appreciate everyone checking this out. There are only a few chapters left to go everyone. Dum dum dum


	15. The Beginning

Disclaimer: Only a bit more time before S3. The property of POI belongs to CBS, JJ, Johnathan, and everyone else that works on it. Thank you SWWoman for being my second set of eyes.

* * *

Chapter 15 - The Beginning...

Last night had left Cal in such a disheveled state that he couldn't get a wink of sleep. His head was hurting and he was just outright exhausted. It didn't help things that he was extremely worried about the state of HR affairs at the moment. He was on his way to his godfather's office to see what his next move would be.

He knew that no one had followed any of them last night to the meeting place. It appeared that the brothers took the time to make it out of the way so as not to draw suspicion from the public. It was short, simple, and to the point. They were out on the streets and as promised, they would help with HR's financial needs. He was just happy to finally go home and relax.

Just as he was wrapping things up, he heard the loud voice of someone telling them to put their guns down. For fear of getting outgunned, Cal ordered everyone else to get into the car and take off. Before they left, he noticed the Russians stayed behind. With the firepower he saw backing them up, he was sure that whoever these routine cops were, they would regret interfering.

The lights of the bright morning didn't help to dull the pain as he was closing in on his destination. Cal had arrived at work as usual. He began his day with a bit of paperwork and before he knew it, it was lunchtime. It appeared to be a dull day which he was glad for. Asking the captain for and granted an extended break, he decided to head to Alonzo's office for an update.

He pulled up to the office and got a sense that something was off as he could see the guards were on edge, nervous even. It caused Cal's stomach to turn because at this point, there couldn't be anymore failures, otherwise the organization was finished.

He exited his car and pulled his up his collar to protect him from the cold as he approached the front door and the guard. This was the usual routine as the guard was there to intimate anyone who shouldn't have been sniffing around there. As soon as he was spotted, the big guy moved out of the way and granted him entry.

He walked the length of the hallway, knowing exactly where his Godfather would be. He had only been out of the hospital a few hours and he was already back at work for the mayor. Once he reached the threshold, he knocked on the wood as he saw that Alonzo was on the phone.

Acknowledging his visitor, he waved Cal in and directed him to a chair. He noticed that the conversation on his end was heated, but he couldn't tell who it was. As he waited patiently, Cal draped his left leg over his right.

After a few more minutes, Alonzo finally ended the call with an exasperated breath. Cal saw that Alonzo's face had become a dark shade of red which was a rare sight for him. He knew that if he saw that, something bad really had happened. Once Alonzo calmed down slightly, he began to speak.

"Cal, how are you today?"

He grew nervous as he answered the question. "Well I'm doing pretty good, what about you?"

He watched as Alonzo stood up and began to pace around. "I'm actually not in good spirits right now." He used his hands to speak his point. "It appears that we have lost our last opportunity with the Russians."

Cal's eyes widen in surprise. "W-what? I don't understand. What happened?"

"You fucked up at the meeting Cal. This is all on you. I thought I could trust you to handle things."

"You can Alonzo. The deal went down as planned until some patrol cops happened to stumble on us."

"So what did you do?"

"Well we had to get out of there. We tried to convince the Russians but they stayed behind and began a shootout with their Uzis, I didn't pay too much mind. What's going on?"

"Well apparently they are in custody again for using unlicensed weapons and the evidence is stacking against them. Do you have any idea who had shown up?"

"All I know was that it was at least two cops but it was too dark to see where they were."

"Well I just got a call from them again saying that the deal was off. They even threatened me with retaliation because they think that I orchestrated some sort of sting operation. Do you how insulted I am?"

"Look Alonzo I'm…" he was silenced when his Godfather slammed the table with such force that the entire room felt like it was shaking. Cal wasn't normally intimidated, but that wasn't the case with Alonzo. He was quite pissed off and he was going to show it."

"I want you back here tonight, no excuses Cal. We have to arrange for some method to eliminate these men before they go through with their threat."

"What about reconciling?"

"It's too late for that now. We have blown too many chances with them. We have to find another source and I want you to help me."

He just accepted the facts. He didn't want to incur Alonzo's wrath. "Okay, I'll be back once my shift is over."

"Okay, this conversation is over." He then dismissed Cal and went back to work doing political business.

Cal stood up and just left without any uttering another word. The wheels in his head were turning as he tried to understand how the hell everything could be going so wrong.

* * *

Detective Terney was hovering around the water cooler, discussing some entertaining parts about apprehending his latest suspect. Just like Cal, he had thought that his job in all this was done and that HR would be back on its feet in no time. He decided to just enjoy his time until he was needed again.

He laughed with his colleagues as his eyes scanned around the precinct, trying to spot Detective Carter. He had also been planted to keep an eye on her and it seems that her righteous nature was starting to get in the way again. He would have to keep a close eye on her because Cal had let him know about the attempted hit on her life.

He had hung around the place long enough to hear the rumors from the other officers. Carter had developed a reputation for having her own guardian angel. He had brushed it off as a ridiculous fairy tale. Now he wasn't so sure because she was still working on her case.

Not seeing any sign of her, he continued to speak with his buddies.

"Hey Raymond, you heard what happened with Fusco," one of his fellow officers asked.

"No what happened?" He was quite curious as he had seen the man pretty occupied with staying at his desk.

"He managed to make a really big bust last night and you won't believe who it was."

It was then that Terney saw Carter step through the front doors. "Sorry, I'll talk to you later." He then made his way towards her direction. He had done this quite a few times. He would try to take away her attention from HR by asking for her help with another case but she always refused. He thought that he might as well try again since things were going to be alright. There was no point in worrying anymore.

He approached her desk just as she sat down across from her partner.

"Hey Carter, how's it going" he greeted warmly.

She looked up at him with a smile on her face. "Why Detective Terney, surprising to see you around so early. I'm doing quite well, I'm even making progress on my case."

This comment threw him off guard, but he soon made assumptions that she was talking about another case. "Well how about helping me out with this case I'm working on when you have time?"

He watched as she did some typing on her computer not giving him an answer. He waited patiently until he heard something oddly familiar bellowing from the speakers at full blast. He soon recognized it as the conversation he had with Cal while waiting for the brothers at the warehouse.

"Hey Fusco, does this sound familiar to you" she decided to tease, wanting to have him suffer for his involvement in the murder of Bill.

"Well Carter, it sounds like our good friend right here and it sounds like he's meeting the heads of the Russian mob. Weren't those guys released just yesterday and got arrested again like morons today?"

"They sure were." She then stood up as the attention of the entire department was focused at that point of the room. It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

It was then that Joss did what she did best…her job. "So would you mind trying to weave a story to explain your whereabouts as some sort of alibi to try to make me believe this isn't you?"

He stood there in silence, stunned.

"Well if this won't loosen your tongue, them I'm sure you'll love this." She took two photos from the folder she had and held them up for everyone to see. "I have been performing an examination of evidence that were acquired by Detective Fusco last night during an arrest" she announced. "I have two photos of a shoe prints that were found at the scene of the murder of Detective Szymanski and also from the arrest of the brothers."

She displayed the photos, enjoying the time that she was having, knowing that she was going to get a small victory.

"It appears that after careful examination, the two prints match to the point that even a serial number was able to be acquired to confirm the identity of the owner." As she looks down, her smile widened ever so slightly. "It appears that our good Detective Terney here is wearing the exact brand of shoes that were described to have made the prints. Now Raymond, would you please show me the bottom of your shoes and confirm that these are not your shoes?"

Noticing his hesitation, Fusco decided to chime in. "C'mon Ray, go ahead and prove her wrong, unless she's not." Fusco couldn't just sit back and enjoy the show.

Detective Terney growled in anger. "You have no idea what you are getting yourself into" he whispered.

"Oh I believe I do. Turn around and put you hands behind your back." She took out her handcuffs. "You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder and tamper with evidence in a case."

Unable to touch her with all of the eyes watching them, he did what she said. When the clicking sound of the cuffs being closed was heard, his head dropped down. Joss couldn't help but smile.

As she escorted the Detective to lockup, she could hear the murmurs and whispers of the nearby officers.

"Do you think it's true?"

"Carter's never been wrong before. I would hate to piss her off."

"I always thought something was wrong about that case with Bill. I'm glad someone's was looking into it."

In the back of her mind as she brought him to the cells was a single thought.

_One down, two to go._

* * *

A/N: It's all coming to an end. It saddens me because I really enjoyed working on this and I hope that you all enjoyed reading it. I want to thank all of you because this story finally broke a hundred reviews. I wish I could hug you all in gratitude. Thanks SWWoman again because you are a great Beta._  
_


	16. Of The End

Disclaimer: We are coming really close to the end of this little journey. The property used in this work belongs to everyone over at CBS and I'm only using it strictly for mine and others entertainment. Thanks for the help SWWoman.

* * *

Chapter 16 - Of The End

It took only an hour to get what she wanted. After the confrontation in front of the entire station, Joss felt stronger than she had in days. It also helped that her friends cared about her vendetta as much as she did. She put Terney in lockup and as confirmation, asked for his shoes. He of course denied it and demanded a lawyer. He tried some stalling tactics until he made another mistake.

Because he had been standing up for quite a bit of time, he chose to take a seat on the bench. She remembered from all her time of knowing him that he had a habit of crossing his legs when he sat. After only a minute, he did exactly what she expected.

As he lifted his leg to lay it on his knee, she could see clear as day the bottom of his shoe. She smiled inwardly as she got the confirmation she sought. She just turned around and left, only to be stopped by Raymond.

"Hey where the hell are you going Carter? You're the one that put me in here. At least have the balls to look at me when it turns out you made a mistake."

She stopped in her tracks before making her way back to the cell. Her eyes were harboring an anger that even Raymond himself became afraid to unleash. She ended up speaking a hushed, warning tone.

"I know exactly what I'm doing and I know that I didn't make any mistakes this time. You weren't the shooter that killed Bill, but you helped try to ruin a good cop's name. You aren't going anywhere or getting out of this one. Enjoy your talk with the lawyer." She turned away and headed back upstairs, leaving him to contemplate his future.

When she got back upstairs, she noticed the looks from her colleagues. She didn't let it bug her though as she went back to her desk to collect her things.

"So it looks like you had a bit too much fun there," Fusco said.

"Well it's not over yet partner. We are going to bring the whole organization down tonight."

"So you and Wonderboy are going after the big cheese, huh? What do you want me to do to help?"

"Just wait for my call. This will all be over soon" she said with a determination that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Collecting her personal items, she headed out of the station after talking with the Captain about a possible big takedown. Once she was outside, she began scanning the street until she found a familiar face.

She smiled as she approached John and his car which were parked a bit further down the street. "Well it's good to see that you don't keep a girl waiting long." They smiled at each other before he opened the door for her. After she got inside, he closed the door and made his way over to the other side. The cold weather barely affected him as he made his way inside.

He started the engine and started driving to their next destination, understanding the magnitude of this next move. Along the way, he began to tease her to try to ease the tension. "You know, you really are sexy when you are playing a good cop."

She laughed quickly. "So you heard all that huh. Did you enjoy the fact that I was playing good cop, bad cop or the part where I arrested him?"

"I'm a bit jealous that Terney got to enjoy you putting the cuffs on him. I distinctly remember all the times that you threatened me with the same treatment."

"Who's to say I won't?" she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"I will hold you to that." Before long, he was pulling up to the block, making sure not to be seen by the guard that he recognized when he had tried to get in before. He shut off the engine and looked over at Joss.

"You okay?"

"Not until this is over" she said serious as she looked straight ahead at the building. "So it's safe to assume that Alonso is in fact still inside?"

"Yup Finch managed to confirm that we also have some familiar friends inside too."

"Carl and Cal?"

"Yup."

Joss reached into her holster and pulled out her gun. "Good thing I came prepared."

"Actually…" John reached to the back seat and pulled a couple of things from a duffle bag that he brought with him. "I brought these for you." He handed her a bulletproof vest that would be issued to the military, a modified silenced 9mm pistol, and an earpiece to match his.

She gratefully took them. "Wow, you sure how to make a girl feel special and it's not even my birthday. First this tracker and now all this! You really should let me know when your birthday is," she commented as she began to strap the vest on over her shirt. She had planned on equipping her standard issue one once they got to the place.

"So how does this work?" she asked, referring to the earpiece.

"Simple, just connect it to your phone and program what number you want it to autodial to when you tap it."

"Oh okay, I'll definitely want Lionel on standby because I won't know what the hell we're going to run into when we get inside."

He watched as she began to do what he told her. He never realized how dark it was until the light from her phone lit up her face. Seeing her basked in such a soft light forced him to control his breathing and focus on the task at hand. If they weren't on a mission to take down HR's leader, he would have had her in the back seat in moments. For now, he just sat controlled in his seat waiting for her.

She searched through the menus on her phone and messed around with the settings until she managed to get everything done. "Got it" she said triumphantly. She moved to put the earpiece in but was stopped by John.

"Let me do it" he offered. He took the piece, deliberately lingering his touch on her. He then pushed back her hair and gently inserted it. He pulled away but not before saying "Perfect fit." Watching her, he saw the grateful look on her face.

"Thanks for all of this John. If it hadn't been for you…"

"Don't worry about it" he interrupted before planted a soft kiss on her lips. Pulling away quickly, he saw her smile.

"We should probably get this over and done with before we get lost in other things."

"Agreed."

They exited the car and stepped into a pretty serene environment. The weather had seemed to quiet down since the rain and now it had just become colder.

Getting to the edge of the building, the two began to act as a unit once again as they had back at the warehouse. They could trust each other which was essential for this to all work. They hugged tightly to the brick wall, blending into to the point of being invisible because of their dark clothes.

They crept slowly and watched the man as he continued to stand there uninterested. John had taken point while Joss covered him because with the resistance they would more than likely to encounter, he would be able to take care of it more efficiently. Their breathing became more controlled, more sync with each other. They would perform as one. It was something that had been imprinted on them when they were under constant threat during their tours of duty.

They were barely touching as they came up on their target, who had at this point chosen to have a smoke. When he tried to light his cigarette, John struck with lightning precision. He first struck him in the back of the right knee, bringing him down to his level. He then, with pinpoint accuracy, hit the nerve in the back of his neck to render him unconscious.

As the body crumbled into a heap, Joss couldn't help but find herself impressed. She would have to ask for some lessons later.

Looking back at her to confirm that she was still with him, John gave her a familiar hand signal which told her to take position on the other side. She did so quickly while remaining crouched. They continued to act together as they both reached for the doorknob. The element of surprise would hopefully still be on their side. As they pulled the doors open, they quickly rushed inside, being sure to slow it down once they were in to prevent any noise.

John had seen the layout of the area which he would continue to take point. They continually moved slowly, being sure to constantly keep scanning for any sort of movement around them. The doors they passed didn't pose an obvious threat since they were shut.

Once they passed the second door, they continued on. Focusing on following him, Joss nearly jumped as she felt something hard press against her head.

"Hands up" the voice said roughly as she did what he said. John immediately turned around to confront the ambusher and aim his gun. The coward quickly cowered behind her as he removed the pistol from her hands and threw it to the side.

"Stand" he ordered, pressing the gun harder against her temple. She saw the steeled look in John's eyes as he began to formulate a strategy.

"Now Joss, why can't you ever play nice?" the voice taunted.

She of course recognized it immediately. "Well it's not in my nature to frame a good cop's name for my own benefit Cal." She felt his free hand move over her body, checking for hidden weapons. She had to do her best not to squirm because was the only one that she wanted to touch her like that.

Cal then looked over her shoulder to acknowledge the man that was with her. "And who the hell are you? You've been helping Joss here getting into more trouble than she needed to?" He pressed the barrel harder again to emphasize his point. "Are you supposed to be FBI or CIA?"

He then thought about one last possibility. "Or maybe you are this mysterious guardian angel that has kept her alive this long. Joss maybe you can tell me before I blow your pretty little head off right in front of him." He pulled the firing pin on the pistol, waiting for her answer.

Joss wanted to throw Cal off his game. He was in control of the situation. In order for John to get her out of this, she would have to shift it back to him. In reality, she was afraid of what she was about to say out loud to infuriate Cal. She feared that if she told him what she had been thinking, that John wouldn't believe her, passing it off as a heat of the moment thing to save her life. She also feared that she would be finished off before John can react.

She closed her eyes to collect herself. When she opened them again, she looked at him with what he could interpret was the truth from her face. She then began to speak from the heart. "He's someone that I love and care about with all my heart." This remark nearly caused Cal to drop the gun. John tried to muster the strength not to let his emotions take over just yet. He had to remain focused.

Cal grew more frustrated. "You're joking right. What the hell is wrong with you?" He placed the gun back to her head again, but she could feel his control disappearing. "What the hell does this guy have? I've never even met the guy before and he looks like nothing."

"He's a good man that understands the meaning of protecting people better than most cops I know." She was telling the truth. In reality, she had wanted to wait until this was all over to tell him the truth. She struggled for a while now with how to tell him her feelings, even before he saved her from the waters that night.

"You really are just a tease aren't you Joss. I did all the right things. I asked you out and you accepted. You let me into your home and let me kiss you. You give me all the signals that you wanted more and when I try, you turned around and refused."

John watched as the two were engaged. Being wrapped up over her words to him, he barely registered that her right leg was inching to the side, exposing his for a disabling shot. She needed a bit more time to give him a chance.

"It's because I never felt like I trusted you. I'm not going to have sex with just anyone."

"From the sounds of things, it looks like you already whored yourself out to this white boy."

"Say what you want…" her leg finally moved out of the way "but he's better than I'd ever imagined" she uttered before John finally got his chance.

The sound of the silenced bullet ripped through his leg, causing him to grunt as he hit the ground, not sure what was going on. The wound was in no way fatal but it would hurt like hell in the morning. Before he could get his bearings, John disabled him using the same technique as before.

Joss was on the floor near the door where she spotted her weapon. She leaned over to pick it up and checked to make sure everything was in order. Putting her back to the wall, she saw John next to her, his eyes filled with worry.

"Are you alright?"

"Never better, thanks for helping me out again. I guess I should've paid more attention." She took some breaths to calm down her pounding heart.

He held her hand. "It's not your fault. I'm just glad that you are okay."

"John about the stuff I said…" he silenced her with a small kiss.

"Tell me everything when this is done okay?" He understood that her words were real. There would be a time and place to tell her what he wanted as well.

"Gotcha." He pulled her back to a standing position, double checking her to make sure she wasn't lying earlier about being OK.

Satisfied that the situation with Cal was rectified, they took the positions as before. Before moving forward, Joss decided to get help. "John I'm going to phone Fusco okay?"

He halted his position as she tapped the earpiece to patch the call through.

"Detective Fusco" he answered.

"Partner, it's me. Time to make the big bust."

"Alright Carter, I will be over there with every cop in the station in about ten" he told her before she ended the call.

She raised her weapon to a ready position, indicating to John that she was ready to go. The hallway remained quiet despite the little incident. The darkness from outside continued to flood through the windows from everywhere except one door. There was the clear golden color under the frame, indicating that there was an active light source inside.

They took their positions again. With hand gestures and silenced lip moving, John asked Joss what she wanted to do. After going over the scenarios, she decided to go for the element of surprise. It was likely that there was at least one other person in the room and if they did things properly, there would be no resistance.

She placed her ears to the hard wood door, beginning to block out the rest of the world to focus inside. It was as if she could see through the walls as she could hear different elements in the other room. She could hear the creaking of the floorboards, the wind blowing against the window, and some typing on the other end that was opposite of the door.

She returned to her world, nodding her head and confirming her findings to him. They stood up and she took point. With John behind her prepared for any surprises, Joss took her black boot heel and kicked the center of the door. The force was so hard that it knocked the door off of it'\s hinges, impacting the unfortunate person on the other side.

Alonso stood up in utter disbelief as the duo walked into his office. John looked under the remains of the door to find that it was ironically Carl, the last member of this trio. There was no need to worry about him since he got hit pretty hard on the head by the door.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?" Quinn yelled as he began to reach for his gun under the desk.

"Hands up Quinn" Joss commanded.

"Do you have any idea of the consequences if you do this?" He threatened as he did as she said.

"You are under arrest for the murder of Bill Szymanski and for running a criminal organization. You are going to be stopped NOW!" Her emotions were in overdrive as she knew they would once this happened.

"You don't have any evidence against me. You just waltz in here and break down my door. Do you know how much I can take you for once I get my lawyer?"

"How are you going to defend yourself against this?" John asked as he pulled out his phone. Searching the files, he played a sound clip. The conversation that Quinn and Cal had earlier filled the air as his own words implicated the truth.

"You put an illegal wiretap. I will make sure that you will lose your badge." Despite the situation, Alonso refused to back down.

"Not if it's from an anonymous source" John said as he stepped forward. "I've warned you and your associates that if you ever did anything to put her life in danger again, I would make sure you all would regret it." John's ice cold blue eyes caused Alonso to step back in fear of his own safety as Joss continued to watch.

"You are going to be in a hell of a lot of trouble too buddy."

John smiled as he inched closer "How am I going to do that if I was never really here. I'm not really a cop after all.

Quinn chose to make a move and reached for his last resort. He had enough time to reach for the grip of his gun before he felt a massive pain in his waist. John had been waiting for him to do something stupid and when his wish was granted, he took pleasure in making Alonso suffer.

Joss stepped closer with her gun still aimed at him. "You aren't going to buy your way out of this one. "You, Cal, and Carl can get reacquainted with your buddy Terney in lock up." Joss stood next to him as John locked his hands together with zip ties.

John saw that she was still aiming despite the fact that Alonso wasn't a threat anymore. Putting his gun in the back of his pants, he put a hand on her wrist. This action caused her to look at him, seeing that he shifted back to the vigilante again. She just couldn't believe that it was over, afraid that it was all a dream.

"It's okay Joss, you got him" he said gently.

Joss inched the gun down until it was to the side of her. John could see the relief in her face and walked over to give her a hug to comfort her. "You did it" he whispered in her ear. He heard a small sniffle coming from her and knew that she was trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out.

The sound of wailing sirens could be faintly heard in the distance. He reluctantly pulled away from her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "When you are done with everything, come back to the loft okay?"

"It might be a while. There's going to be a lot to process and I'm going to have to hand over evidence."

"I'll wait for you" he reassured before he left out the empty door frame.

Joss watched him as she could hear Alonso continue to try to act tough. "You have no idea what you and your boyfriend are in for."

She turned her attention to him, giving him a satisfied smile. "Now Alonso, that's not true. If I have it my way, you won't be going anywhere for a long time." She then moved around and casually took a seat at the edge of the desk as she waited for backup to arrive.

* * *

A/N: There is only one more chapter left:( I'm pretty sad that this is all coming to an end but I have to say that I am so happy to have gotten this out there and to see everyone enjoy it so far. SWWoman, thanks for looking through all of these chapters. I'm glad to have you as a beta^^


	17. Finale

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me. Don't want any trouble.

* * *

Chapter 17 - Finale

The day before was a blur to Joss. After John had left, Fusco was the first one to arrive on the scene. She laughed to herself as he commented about the chaos that they left behind them. She was of course questioned and asked to head back to the station where she gladly handed over all the evidence she collected.

Finch was kind enough to deliver the audio files that he had saved at her request directly to her computer which she retrieved happily. She had needed some assistance because she had collected so much evidence that she couldn't carry it all. Each time she brought a new box in, the Captain's eyes widened.

She smiled to herself at how impressed he was as he began the process of having someone else look over all the evidence in question. Thankfully he told her that she could have the rest of the day off and to head on home. She did just that, in a sense.

Just as he promised, John had waited up for her when she had arrived at the loft. He invited her inside and they drank a celebratory beer together. There had been nothing physical between them that night and neither of them minded because this relationship had meant more to them then just sex.

Noticing her exhaustion after only one beer, Joss got cleaned up and cuddled with him on the bed, the weight of the outside world lifting. She managed to close her eyes and get some real sleep for the first time in days.

She left early the next morning, but not before he treated her to another breakfast which she ate without any complaints.

She had the day off so she decided to pay someone a visit. During the cab ride, she decided to stop at a small flower shop a few blocks down the street. Browsing through the selection of roses, violets, and dandelions, she decided to get a bundle of twelve marigolds.

"If you don't mind me asking, whose day are you trying to brighten today?" the cashier asked kindly.

"It's just for a good friend of mine who's been having a rough couple of days. She lost her husband last week and I'm on my way to see her."

"Oh I'm so sorry, my condolences to your friend. I do hope that our flowers will be able to cheer her up." She wrapped them in plastic and paper and finished it off with a yellow bow. "Will there be anything else?"

"No thank you very much." She paid for them and got back into the cab. Along the way, she heard the driver change the radio before stopping at a radio station. As she listened, Joss could hear the media having a field day with what they called the case of the century. They were describing bits and pieces of the case.

She heard the driver whistle as they stopped for traffic. "They sure got themselves a whopper of a catch. You heard about this Miss?" he asked.

"Sure have," she said proudly.

"Man to think that the Mayor's advisor was the leader of this huge organization. I wouldn't want to mess with this Detective Carter. She's definitely got more balls than most policemen I've seen."

"She's only that way if you make her angry."

"You know her?" he asked, looking in the rearview mirror.

"Maybe I do" she said as the cab began to get back on the road. After engaging in a bit more conversation, she arrived at her destination. She paid the man, bid him goodbye, then exited the cab.

Entering the slightly chilled air, she was greeted with the sight of John waiting just in front of the building.

"I should have known. You know John I should arrest you for stalking." She said as she took care to cradle the flowers in her arms as she walked up to him.

"I thought you could use some company. Besides, I wanted to meet this friend of yours that you moved buildings for just to prove that her husband was not who they said he was."

She began up the stairs with him following behind slightly. As she entered and approached the door, she was caught off guard with the appearance of Lauren at the doorway.

"Oh hey Lauren, I was just coming around to see you. I guess you heard the news." She noticed her look towards John's direction. "This is John, he helped me quite a bit with this case."

Lauren's face was glowing brighter than the sun. "Oh please come inside, both of you." She escorted them in and directed them to the living room. She offered to get them coffee which they both accepted. They made small talk while waiting for her to come back.

"Nice place she has here."

"Yeah," Joss said as she noticed the atmosphere was more uplifting than before. She noticed that the photos that were hidden away in shame were displayed on the dressers and tables again. Lauren came back with a tray with their drinks accompany with a few fruit snacks.

Joss took the moment to give her the gift. "Lauren I got these for you, I know that they are your favorite."

Lauren's smile grew wider. "Marigolds, Joss you shouldn't have, thank you. Let me put these in a vase." She did just that, removing them from their package and arranging them lovingly in a green vase before bringing them back and putting them on the table as a centerpiece.

"So I guess you heard," Joss started.

"Heard? Joss, those guys that you busted were all over the news. My friends and neighbors have been coming around apologizing for how they've been treating me. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"What are friends for?" she said as she took a sip of coffee.

"And you" Lauren pointed at John. "You've been taking care of her?"

"Yes of course. She's a really good friend of mine and she was way over her head during this," he joked, causing Lauren to laugh while receiving a dirty look from Joss that added to his amusement.

"Thank you so much. I was so worried when Joss told me that she would look into what happened to Bill. I'm so glad that you are alright."

They each looked at each other, deciding silently to leave out the attempt on her life in the park.

"So what have people been saying to you Lauren?"

She began drinking her coffee as well. "Well I got knocks on the door this morning. It was my next door neighbor telling me to turn on the TV. I didn't know what was going on with you since you last visited so I was surprised with what I heard. You are crazy, you know that?"

Joss shrugged her shoulders "It tends to come with the territory."

"You are just too modest for all the stuff you've done." Lauren stood up and grabbed a picture of her and Bill on their wedding day. "You've managed to do all of this for Bill. I'm sure he would have been amazed with you," she said with a sad expression on her face.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't save him Lauren," she said sympathetically.

"No more feeling sorry for yourself Joss. Let's just chat. I have quite a few more questions, especially about your friend," she said with a sly look on her face. Joss laughed and decided to indulge her for the next half an hour.

* * *

"I have to say that your friend is a very curious person," John commented as he allowed her inside the loft. After the visit, he drove her back to her home only to pick her up again at around six when she was done doing her chores for the day.

"You should be happy that we managed to get her out of asking about our sex life once she figured out there was more to us then we let on," she laughed as she placed her jacket on the hanger and sat at the island counter. She then stretched all the kinks out of her back from work.

"So what's the plan now?" He asked apprehensively. In the back of his mind, he knew that now that things were wrapped up, she would go back to her normal life. Taylor would be back home, she was safe, and she would leave him alone in the loft again. His released a sigh didn't go unnoticed.

"What's wrong? Worried about my answer?" She tilted her head slightly to judge his expressions, to see if he would show her what he was thinking. She saw something there, a familiar feeling she knew all too well on those lonely nights when she first began her life without her husband. It was so hard to not have someone right there for you. She understood completely.

"John…" she stood up from her seat and walked over to him. She then pressed her head and hands to his chest, pushing him back until his hips reached the other counter. "Nothing's going to change between us."

"What do you mean?" He asked as he watched her tilt her head up to meet his eyes.

"I mean that I don't intend to let you out of my sight."

"Oh really, so you'll still come around once in a while?" She nodded her head, which made him quite elated.

"Remember what I said to Cal when he had the gun to my head?" she questioned, seeing the flash of the killer coming out before he shifted back to normal.

"Of course, I wasn't sure whether you were serious Joss." He was silenced by her hand over his lips.

"I meant every word," she said softly. "I don't care what society thinks about this, I just want you to know that." She removed her hand to hear his answer.

"Ever since that day in the hall, I've been trying to understand what these feelings I had for you were," he admitted. His heart was beating quickly as Joss watched him with intent. "I made myself stay away from you because I knew that if I stayed, I would get you hurt. When you were in danger though, all I could think to do was to save you. You are always with me, even if I try to forget," he said with all the honesty in his body.

He bent down to brush his lips past hers before continuing. "I do love you too, Joss." He kissed her again, pressing a little bit harder. As he was doing this, he thought he felt a cold sensation around his wrist. Attributing it as the effects of the kiss, he ignored it. He wouldn't have thought twice until he heard the familiar click.

Pulling away abruptly, John tried to pull his hand in front of him with no success, hearing the banging of metal on the railing of the counter.

"I'm so glad that you said that" she said mischievously.

"May I ask what is all this?" He couldn't help but feel himself harden at the action of her handcuffing him. He was at her mercy and she was standing there, looking sexier than he could ever imagine.

She licked her lips in a slow, torturing manner. "You seemed so jealous the other day, especially when you told me how you liked it when I arrested people. I thought that maybe tonight, I would finally take you in." She batted her eyes at him, watching him squirm a bit and struggle against the restraints.

She would have some fun with him tonight.

"Well Detective, you can't just take me in without reading my rights."

She slinked her way over to him and began to feel his body underneath her hands. She started at his hips, allowing her fingertips to feel his movements beneath the shirt. They traveled all the way up until reaching the first button. She slowly and deliberately began to unbutton them one by one.

"With all the things you've done, it might take a while to get through them all." When she reached lower, she was impeded by the last few buttons which were tucked beneath his expensive dress pants. Her fingers tentatively hovered over the steel buckle before slipping them through the looped leather.

With a small tug, she undid the belt and separated the belt from the leather, exposing the single button. She noticed that he was making quite a bit of noise as she could hear the clinking of the cuffs frequently. She went back to her task as she then undid the button and only pulled the zipper down enough to release his confined shirt.

She got at the last two buttons, finally opening the infernal thing to reveal his signature undershirt. Sighing that she expected it, she inched her way slowly up the open shirt. She allowed her hands to inch the shirt up, showing his beautiful body to her. As more of his bronze skin was exposed, she placed a kiss and licked around scared areas. She would feel his stomach clench and the noises of the cuffs increased in frequency.

She couldn't help but think to herself that he had such a beautiful body. Even his imperfections caused a strange arousal to her. It was such a vulnerable thing to see that he was just as human as anyone else, even though others may not believe it.

Continuing further up, once his nipples were exposed, she passed her tongue over each causing a groan to erupt from his throat. Since he was restrained, the best she could do was push his dress shirt down his arms, being sure to take her time to feel ever vein and bulging bicep. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Always one to be defiant, she could feel him pressing his tongue, seeking entry.

After fighting him for a moment, she allowed him in and began to duel for dominance. She continued to crush herself against him, feeling his hard erection brush against her stomach. Her face felt more flushed as she continued her fight.

As they continued, she felt a slight pressure against her hips. She didn't think anything of it until she felt a cool feeling brush against her. She pulled away quickly and inspected him. Sheepishly, he raised his free hands in the air with one part of the cuffs still around his right wrist. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Oh really, so you decided to not listen to my instructions huh?" She questioned with a mock anger plastered on her face.

"Granted, Detective, it's quite difficult to comprehend my task when such a beautiful woman is teasing me so much." He brought her back to him and began ravaging her neck, kissing and nipping the skin there.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she looked to get the rest of his clothes off. She pulled on the shirt and managed to get it around his cuffed wrist before throwing it off to the side. He wasted no time taking off the undershirt, wanting her touch again.

Pulling her back to him, she raked her fingernails over his chest, hearing the hiss as he grasped her hair. His other hand managed to slip under the waistband of her pants, passing the metal to her skin, raising goosebumps there. He then gripped her shirt at the hem and pulled it over her head, reclaiming her lips and pulling her back to him.

She could feel the strength emanating from him. It was this strength that she loved about him. He could have so much yet be so gentle as well. Her right hand went down and began to pull the metal zipper all the way down. He let the noise barely register as he work on her as well.

"You know John" she started after she pulled her lips from him. "I think this would be considered assault on a police officer."

He quickly unbuttoned her jeans. "It's hard to keep my hands to myself when it's you Joss." He let her pants slide down and she quickly took off her shoes before discarding the pants. She pressed her covered breasts against him as he grabbed her ass. He just couldn't help but be infatuated with this luscious part of her body.

"John, you aren't being fair," she whispered as she tackled his pants. It only took mere moments to mimic what she had done and then they were both left in nothing but their underwear once again. She saw a suspicious looking grin appear suddenly and she couldn't help but question him. "What's going through your head now?"

His face shifted to being neutral before passing a finger over her lips. "Don't worry about it yet." He then shifted his weight to gain leverage, forcing her to back up. Before her hips hit the other counter, he wrapped his arm to protect her as he nuzzled her neck.

She sighed in content as she began to pass her fingers through his hair, feeling every individual hair under her nails. He managed to sneak the clasp of her bra open and slowly pulled the material off her shoulders. Joss shuddered at the kisses he left on her bare, caramel skin.

"You are absolutely insatiable," he whispered in a hoarse voice.

When he would say such things, it would drive her absolutely mad. She hadn't felt something for another man in what seemed like a lifetime and now she wanted nothing more than to have John buried inside her.

The bra was discarded like the rest and he quickly began to manipulate her breasts, much to her pleasure. While she always thought of him as a smart ass, that didn't necessarily mean that the man didn't know how to use his mouth. Leaving a trail of moisture, he indulged in both soft mounds simultaneously as he began to mold them in his large hands.

"And people tell m…e that I'm a te...ase," she said shakily. Her hands clasped harder around his neck to keep him in position.

Her mentioning this cause him to stop suddenly and she thought that she said something wrong. "I was just joking John," she said nervously. He rose back to a standing position and looked at her with gentle eyes.

"No you weren't" he said. When she turned her head to avoid his gaze, he knew that he was right. "Cal wasn't a real man if all he cared about was trying to bed you Joss."

"I don't know what happened. I just couldn't bring myself to sleep with him," she said honestly.

"You don't need a reason. Joss, what are we doing right now?"

She smiled goofily. "Well it looks to me like we are about to have sex again" she said looking down at their state of dress.

"Right and what did we do after you made the first arrest?"

She then shifted to a dreamy look. "I feel asleep in your arms that night."

"That's right. Nothing happened between us that night. You should know that you are just as responsible for your actions and you don't need to have reasons for doing things you don't want to do," he reassured.

"That's right, you are willing to wait for me and be with me regardless of whether we get physical or not and never get angry."

"No I wouldn't," he said before continuing on with his previous activities. The gasp in her throat was her only response as he lovingly pleased her like he always had. She had no need to doubt herself. This wasn't against her will. She desired him more than any other man she had ever met. He treated her the way he did because he knew her the best. He didn't try to control her or force her. That's why her love for him was real.

He began to play with her nipples as he tried to make her forget her previous thoughts. To think that any man could be angry with her for wanting to wait disgusted him to no end.

Tweaking the peaks between his fingers, he dipped his tongue into her belly button. He felt her stomach clench as he heard a small giggle from her lips. Nothing touched him more than hearing her laugh because of something he did. To him, it was the most beautiful sound in the world.

When he took his hands away from her breasts, he spent an antagonizing amount of time traveling down her stomach before he hooked his fingers through the thin waistband of her panties. As he inched them down, he planted kisses all over her longs legs before they were discarded as well.

Before she could remove the last barrier between them, he wrapped his hand around her again. She then heard the familiar click and felt the cold steel of the cuffs against her bare back. She looked at him confused, only to have him smile gently. "Just wanted to make sure you didn't go anywhere."

He allowed her to ease his boxer briefs off. He didn't even bother to wait anymore. As soon as he was released, he positions his shackled hands underneath her legs and lifts her up, the chain provided a sort of support for her. He let her down gently, easing her unto him and enjoying the welcome that he was receiving as he entered her.

Joss's moans were soft and hoarse as she grasped her hands behind his neck. Her body couldn't get enough of his hard cock. She couldn't help but admire how well endowed he was especially because he had hidden it under those suits. He continued to travel through her, becoming encased inside of her warmth. It took only a moment for him to finally become fully sheathed inside of her.

He then began to thrust slowly, pulling her up and bring her back down with a bit of force each time. As she continued to move with him, she couldn't help but wonder how he could still be keeping his balance. He lifted her body as if it weighed nothing and brought it back down to him. Each time he did this, she felt every inch of him inside her.

The desirable friction caused a yelp to escape her lips. She was caught off guard at how quickly her body became so sensitized to him. He just continued to pull her up and down and she did her best to keep her weight off of the chain. In the back of her mind, she was worried about hurting him, especially because she decided to play with him.

The only verbal interaction between them were the moans and gasp each time they met each other to maximize the power of their moments. John could feel the sweat flowing from their pores and he continued to move.

It was then that the feeling began to grow between them once again. Unlike the other times, they each fought for control to try to maximize this experience. Joss closed her ankle around his waist as she crushed herself against him again while trying to control her breathing. John was doing the same as he tried to hold her up under her knees. He felt the pain in his wrist from holding her but he didn't care. With this woman, he would gladly take any pain to bring her pleasure.

The thrusts grew faster accompanied by their moans. Despite their best efforts, their bodies couldn't hold back anymore. Joss felt her release first as the feeling of weightlessness traveled through her body then something burning hot. Her breathing grew quite ragged and tried to catch her breath as he continued thrusting.

Inside her felt like warm honey to him, he felt himself travel her hot confines with each time bringing him closer to the point of release. He had thought he mastered some semblance of control. Somehow he was able to let go for just her. She was the only person he would be vulnerable with.

Just as he felt his world go dark, he managed to get her sat on the counter at the fear of dropping her from the sudden weakness he would experience. His release came moments later and to him it just felt like he gave his heart and soul to her once again.

The breathing came soon after as she laid her head on his chest, soaking in his masculinity. He undid his shackles and put his hands on either side of her to balance himself. As Joss checked, her eyes grew with worry as the purple marks began to appear.

"John…" she pulled his right wrist into view. "You hurt yourself."

He shook his head dismissively before giving her a kiss. Before long, they were back at it before his cell phone rang. Pulling away from her, he grabbed it and put the caller on speaker.

"What's going on Finch?" he asked as he looked over at a silent Joss.

"Mr. Reese I just wanted to inform you that we've received another number and I would like for you to begin surveillance tomorrow after I brief you further."

"No problem, I'll be over once I get some sleep."

"So will we be working with Detective Carter on this one?"

He looked at her as she covered her mouth to keep her laugh silent. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"That's fine, I will see you first thing in the morning" he said before hanging up. Putting his phone on silent, he heard the laugh erupt from her.

"What's so funny?"

"You act like my kid when he's trying to hide the fact that he's got a girlfriend."

"I'm sorry, I just don't know how I could tell anyone about what this is."

She shook her head. "It's okay, you don't have to figure anything out just yet. Let's just go to bed so you can get some sleep."

He obliged and with renewed strength, he carried her effortlessly over to the mattress. After getting comfortable, he removed the other part of the cuffs and placed them on the bedside table before snuggling against her back.

Tomorrow things would finally be normal in a sense for both of them and they would get some much needed sleep.

_The End_

* * *

A/N: And that, all of my lovely reader, is that. I hoped that you all enjoyed the ride that I put you through and I thank everyone that stuck with it to the end. I also want to once again thank SWWoman for all of her help with a second pair of eyes._  
_


End file.
